Asking for Help as a Healthcare Professional

Buried person holding up a help sign
Interprofessional Collaboration: collaboration between members of two or more health and/or social care professions to improve the delivery of care

Asking for help is a challenge individuals face in their daily lives. The discomfort that comes with admitting we are unable to complete a task or even to just say the words “I don’t know”.

Sometimes, this discomfort is rooted in fear of seeming incapable or the shame of feeling inadequate. Instead, we try to do it ourselves. At first this seems like a solution. However, when we need help but avoid asking for it, we limit our potential and success. Asking for help is a necessary skill to learn and grow.

As a healthcare professional, asking for help can be even more of a challenge in our work environment. However, it is necessary for our patient’s health, our own wellbeing, and our own professional development.

Each health care professional is a part of a whole. One single person cannot know all the possible treatment options, resources available, or cultural insights necessary to care for each patient holistically.. This holistic approach creates a need for patients to talk with multiple health professionals such as nutritionists, social workers, physical therapists, or dentists. . The benefits of this approach is utilizing the strengths of other professions to care for the patient in the best way possible.

The vast difference of educational and professional experiences health professionals have, brings an opportunity to learn from each other. Just like how asking for help is necessary for us to grow in our personal lives, it is just as necessary in our professional lives.

According to Elana Gross in her Forbes article, using our strengths in our career gives an additional job satisfaction boost. However, acknowledging our strengths also means acknowledging our weaknesses. Those weaknesses can be filled by the strengths of other professionals on an interprofessional team.

This is the goal of interprofessional collaboration, and I believe the goal that each healthcare professional should strive to achieve. The healthcare field is full of passionate people dedicated to helping their patients. Each comes with their own unique set of skills. When we ask for help, we are utilizing those skills to their full potential.


February 28, 2022

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