The profession of clinical engineering

This paper reviews the sociology of professions, examines the background and historical development of professions, and then reviews the present status of the profession of clinical engineering. The historical components of the professionalization process are investigated along with the societal perceptions, the role of education, and the functions of professional societies. The progress of an occupation toward professionalization involves: the appearance of training schools; establishment of university educational programs; licensure or certification; a formal code of ethics; and establishment of one or more national professional associations. A rationale is presented here for the formation of a clearly identified professional society for clinical engineers based on: (1) The need to identify the territory of the clinical engineer by defining the body of knowledge on which clinical engineering is based; (2) The need to structure the educational system of clinical engineering; (3) The need to represent the clinical engineer in the healthcare system; and (4) The need to gain status as a profession.