Incompetent professionals

Incompetent practitioners
Incompetent technicians
Incompetent tradespeople

Nature

The most rigorous examinations of a trained person's qualifications and competence occur at the beginning of their careers and rarely, if ever, again. Maintenance and upgrading of skills may be encouraged, but is largely optional. Professional associations which have the responsibility for overseeing standards, and dealing with complaints about individual practitioners, rarely take action to prevent that peron from practising. Professional success or reputation may be won more by personal charm, or by the simple market mechanism of supply and demand, or the inbuilt prejudices of the system, than by ability or character.

Incidence

A 2022 survey by the Federation of State Medical Boards in the USA found that 15% of disciplinary actions against physicians were due to incompetence or substandard care. In the UK, the General Medical Council reported 1,635 fitness-to-practise concerns related to professional competence in 2021. Similar trends are observed in law, engineering, and education, with professional regulatory bodies worldwide reporting thousands of annual complaints regarding incompetence.
In 2018, a high-profile case in Germany involved a nurse, Niels Högel, who was convicted of causing the deaths of at least 85 patients due to gross professional incompetence and malpractice at hospitals in Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.

Claim

Professional self-regulation is ineffective. It is usually the case that unfit practitioners first come to their attention of professional monitoring bodies when they are convicted by the courts or the subject of formal public complaint. Since only cases which suggest seriously poor performance attract the procedures of professional investigative bodies, the less serious, but nevertheless potentially disastrous cases remain.

Counter-claim

Incompetent professionals are often seen as a significant issue, but this perspective is misguided. Every field has its learning curve, and mistakes are part of growth. Instead of focusing on incompetence, we should celebrate resilience and adaptability. The occasional misstep can lead to innovation and improvement. Overemphasizing incompetence distracts from the real challenges we face, such as systemic issues and the need for collaboration. Let’s prioritize progress over perfection and support professionals in their development.