_____ guide professionalism.

• A. Knowledge
• B. Skills
• C. Values
• D. Attitudes

Answer: (C)

Professionalism in health care is guided by what you value—your beliefs about what is right, important, and worthwhile. Those values shape how you respond to patients, colleagues, and ethical situations, influencing choices like respecting patient autonomy, protecting confidentiality, showing compassion, and taking responsibility when things go wrong. Knowledge provides the information you need, and skills are the abilities you apply, but they don’t alone determine professional conduct. Attitudes affect how you approach tasks and people, but they come from deeper beliefs and priorities that values establish. So, values act as the compass for professional behavior, directing decisions and actions across different scenarios to align with ethical standards and high-quality care. In practice, this shows up through honesty, accountability, respect for diversity, and a commitment to serving patients well.