Donna Frost

Facilitation of the development of professional artistry 239 7 “There’s never enough time” A feature common to every practice context was the experience of time pressure. We, and our colleagues outside the inquiry, often experienced not having enough time for patient contact, for documentation, for mentoring and teaching, for meetings and inquiry activities. When time was short, viewing professional artistry as a way of being (row 5 ) relieves some of the pressure of having to ‘do’ certain things. Instead, the professional brings the professional artistry into the encounter with them, in their person and their way of being. When the culture in which the professional is working values professional artistry (row 1 ) then other colleagues, within the same service, are also likely to be bringing professional artistry or aspects of it with them so it doesn’t all come down to the one practitioner. As well, there will be attention paid, structurally, to coming up with (creative) solutions for being able to work in ways that demonstrate artistry despite the constraints (row 4 ). Understanding one’s artistry (row 3 ) and understanding what it is that enables you to make a difference generally and particularly, for this specific patient in these specific circumstances, helps the professional to prioritise, to know where it is important to invest their energy. Having support from like-minded colleagues (row 2 ) helps keep the professional sharp and critical (in a good way) of their own work, seeing where they can exercise influence, including at a higher organisational level if appropriate. Dealing with mistakes Another potentially difficult situation common to all work settings is dealing with the consequences of a mistake or facing complaints. When a professional views professional artistry as part of who they are, instead of something they do (row 5 ), then a mistake is an important signal without being a devastating blow. In a culture (row 1 ) in which professional artistry is valued, the professional is supported and valued to frame this as a chance (row 1 and 4 ) to re-establish connection, to keep seeing the person in the patient, family member or colleague concerned, and to take the time and make the effort to take the complaint or mistake seriously instead of focussing on ‘damage control’. The professional is supported, by their group of like-minded colleagues (row 2 ), to reflect and learn, to look honestly at their own actions and the consequences of their actions, to grieve if necessary and to consider alternative strategies for the next time. The professional who has a good grasp of their own expertise and professional artistry (row 3 ) is able to view and examine this particular instance of a mistake or complaint as part of the larger scheme of things; they can identify possible patterns and chances to challenge