Question

the difference between professional impairment and incompetence? In what ways do these concepts overlap?

Answer 1

The difference between professional impairment and incompetence are:

Professional incompetence

Professional incompetence is a state of inablity to carry out one's professional responsibilities in an effective way. The reasons for professional incompetence are:

• Not having required experience and training.
• Personal inaptness due to emotional disturbances, health reasons, addiction or a character flaw.

Professional incompetence occurs in following ways:

• Taking responsibilities in which one has very knowledge or training.
• Taking professional responsibilities without proper preparation that is required.
• Continuing to take professional responsibilities under severe stress and other emotional states that results in professional failures and poor professional judgement.

Professional impairment

Professional impairment means a state of weakened ability in carrying out one's professional responsibilities.

The reasons for professional impairment are:

• Burn out due to continuous stress at work place.
• Personal grievances and emotional disturbances.
• Addiction and substance abuse.
• Violation of professional ethics.

The basic difference between professional incompetence and professional impairment is that ,while the former is an inability the later is weakening of ability. A continuation in weakening of ability results in inaptness or incompetence.

Professional impairment in any form when continued leads to poor judgement and failures in professional goals and responsibilities, thus,both the concepts overlap.