ATTRIBUTES OF THE HEALER

Caring and compassion: a sympathetic consciousness of another's distress together with a desire to alleviate it.

Insight: self-awareness; the ability to recognize and understand one's actions, motivations, and emotions.

Openness: willingness to hear, accept, and deal with the views of others without reserve or pretense.

Respect for the healing function: the ability to recognize, elicit, and foster the power to heal inherent in each patient.

Respect for patient dignity and autonomy: the commitment to respect and ensure subjective well-being and sense of worth in others and recognize the patient's personal freedom of choice and right to participate fully in his/her care.

Presence: to be fully present for a patient without distraction and to fully support and accompany the patient throughout care.

ATTRIBUTES OF BOTH THE HEALER AND THE PROFESSIONAL

Competence: to master and keep current the knowledge and skills relevant to medical practice.

Commitment: being obligated or emotionally impelled to act in the best interest of the patient; a pledge given by way of the Hippocratic Oath or its modern equivalent.

Confidentiality: to not divulge patient information without just cause.

Autonomy: the physician's freedom to make independent decisions in the best interest of the patients and for the good of society.

Altruism: the unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; placing the needs of the patient before one's self-interest.