Reflection by Anne Rose Røsbak Feragen on N=1
Some people hold on to a romantic understanding of the professional, maintaining that there is a je ne sais quoi that separates the good professionals and the best. If we were to settle with this account we would uphold an authoritative understanding of the professional. As well as shutting the door for any public debate about the professional work, it would probably weaken the trust in the professionals.
On the other side we can observe that great efforts are put into making guidelines for professional work. This could protect the patient from unfortunate idiosyncrasies in meeting with a professional. It could also be opening a door to a broad debate where both insiders and outsiders could take part. At the same time it could mean simplifying professional discretion and giving the individual case less attention.
Could there be a way of articulating what professional discretion is all about, without falling into the pitfalls on either side of the golden mean?
One thought on “Articulating professional discretion”