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Picture

Confidence vs. Competence

3/26/2015

4 Comments

 
Picture
As medical providers, the line between competence and confidence is crossed everyday. In your 'strong topics,' it is easy to be competent. When a patient asks a question regarding their knee pathology, you likely knows the anatomy, type of tear, and treatment progression. But what if the patient asks a question regarding a new knee surgery that he has been reading about? As the expert, you should be knowledgeable regarding the procedure, but maybe you have forgotten to open the past few editions of JOSPT. How do you respond to the question?   

After working with several students, it is clear that confidence is nearly as important as competence. In the example above, you may not have the entire answer, but the demeanor in which you present yourself completely changes the context of the answer. In several situations, a student has answered a patient's question, and the patient turns to me to get a second opinion. Almost always, the students answer is correct. The patient wants a second opinion because he knows the student was hesitant in his/her response.

Ideally, confidence and competence would grow together- the more you learn, the more confident you become. Realistically, it takes multiple repetitions in the clinic to become confident in your interactions with patients. Building trust in the patient can be a difficult task. You must be honest with your patients, but your demeanor can greatly change the outcome of the patient interaction. The video below is not physical therapy related, but it sends a good message regarding body language. 

How do you carry yourself? What is your body language in the clinic? How is your body language affecting your patient interactions?

4 Comments
Matt Eberhardt
3/29/2015 12:20:19 am

I have this conversation with all of my athletic training students. We must always be conscious of how we carry ourselves and the non-verbal conversation that we have with our patients. Even if we may not have all of the information at that time, we can convey confidence in our ability to still be effective practitioners and find the information. This is especially necessary for students to understand as they are in the process of learning new skills any may have learned knee assessment skills three hours before interacting with a patient with a knee issue. Good article!

Reply
Jim
3/29/2015 02:25:40 am

Matt,

I could not agree more. Thank you for the comment.

Reply
Meredith
4/2/2015 10:53:34 am

When I was a student, one of my clinical instructors told me that he had a rule that we never cross our arms in front of patients. He said it was because the non verbal signs you are giving off is that you are closed off. This will lead the pt to not open up as much or feel comfortable with asking you personal questions or telling your their real signs/symptoms. As my clinical went on, I realized that more and more patients were opening up to me both on a treatment level, but also on a personal level.It took a while for me to break the habit, but once I did it allowed me to have more confidence in myself to give them the knowledge that I knew I had in my head. If i wasn't sure of an answer, I knew I could tell that I would look into it and know I didn't lose the patients respect of confidence in me. How we carry ourselves not does effect both us as clinicians, but also on a personal level.

Reply
Rachel
4/17/2015 05:27:39 am

I find this even more true as we interact with other healthcare providers. I've worked in several settings where I've had constant interaction (and occasional disagreements) with various types of providers and your body language and therefore perceived level of competence play an enormous role in whether they give your input any merit. As we strive toward a doctoring profession, it is vital that we put our best foot forward in every interaction with other providers, physicians in particular!

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  • Home
  • About Us
  • TSPT Academy
  • Resources
    • Newsletter
    • Orthopedic Blog
    • Featured Articles
    • Research Articles
    • Residency Corner
  • Special Tests
    • Cervical Spine >
      • Alar Ligament Test
      • Bakody's Sign
      • Cervical Distraction Test
      • Cervical Rotation Lateral Flexion Test
      • Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT)
      • Deep Neck Flexor Endurance Test
      • Posterior-Anterior Segmental Mobility
      • Segmental Mobility
      • Sharp-Purser Test
      • Spurling's Maneuver
      • Transverse Ligament Test
      • ULNT - Median
      • ULNT - Radial
      • ULNT - Ulnar
      • Vertebral Artery Test
    • Thoracic Spine >
      • Adam's Forward Bend Test
      • Passive Neck Flexion Test
      • Thoracic Compression Test
      • Thoracic Distraction Test
      • Thoracic Foraminal Closure Test
    • Lumbar Spine/Sacroiliac Joint >
      • Active Sit-Up Test
      • Alternate Gillet Test
      • Crossed Straight Leg Raise Test
      • Extensor Endurance Test
      • FABER Test
      • Fortin's Sign
      • Gaenslen Test
      • Gillet Test
      • Gower's Sign
      • Lumbar Quadrant Test
      • POSH Test
      • Posteroanterior Mobility
      • Prone Knee Bend Test
      • Prone Instability Test
      • Resisted Abduction Test
      • Sacral Clearing Test
      • Seated Forward Flexion Test
      • SIJ Compression/Distraction Test
      • Slump Test
      • Sphinx Test
      • Spine Rotators & Multifidus Test
      • Squish Test
      • Standing Forward Flexion Test
      • Straight Leg Raise Test
      • Supine to Long Sit Test
    • Shoulder >
      • Active Compression Test
      • Anterior Apprehension
      • Biceps Load Test II
      • Drop Arm Sign
      • External Rotation Lag Sign
      • Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Sign
      • Horizontal Adduction Test
      • Internal Rotation Lag Sign
      • Jobe Test
      • Ludington's Test
      • Neer Test
      • Painful Arc Sign
      • Pronated Load Test
      • Resisted Supination External Rotation Test
      • Speed's Test
      • Posterior Apprehension
      • Sulcus Sign
      • Thoracic Outlet Tests >
        • Adson's Test
        • Costoclavicular Brace
        • Hyperabduction Test
        • Roos (EAST)
      • Yergason's Test
    • Elbow >
      • Biceps Squeeze Test
      • Chair Sign
      • Cozen's Test
      • Elbow Extension Test
      • Medial Epicondylalgia Test
      • Mill's Test
      • Moving Valgus Stress Test
      • Push-up Sign
      • Ulnar Nerve Compression Test
      • Valgus Stress Test
      • Varus Stress Test
    • Wrist/Hand >
      • Allen's Test
      • Carpal Compression Test
      • Finkelstein Test
      • Phalen's Test
      • Reverse Phalen's Test
    • Hip >
      • Craig's Test
      • Dial Test
      • FABER Test
      • FAIR Test
      • Fitzgerald's Test
      • Hip Quadrant Test
      • Hop Test
      • Labral Anterior Impingement Test
      • Labral Posterior Impingement Test
      • Long-Axis Femoral Distraction Test
      • Noble Compression Test
      • Percussion Test
      • Sign of the Buttock
      • Trendelenburg Test
    • Knee >
      • Anterior Drawer Test
      • Dial Test (Tibial Rotation Test)
      • Joint Line Tenderness
      • Lachman Test
      • McMurray Test
      • Noble Compression Test
      • Pivot-Shift Test
      • Posterior Drawer Test
      • Posterior Sag Sign
      • Quad Active Test
      • Thessaly Test
      • Valgus Stress Test
      • Varus Stress Test
    • Foot/Ankle >
      • Anterior Drawer
      • Calf Squeeze Test
      • External Rotation Test
      • Fracture Screening Tests
      • Impingement Sign
      • Navicular Drop Test
      • Squeeze Test
      • Talar Tilt
      • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Test
      • Test for Interdigital Neuroma
      • Windlass Test