Showing papers on "Professional ethics published in 2011"

The Good Life of Teaching: An Ethics of Professional Practice

Abstract: The Good Life of Teaching extends the recent revival of virtue ethics to professional ethics and the philosophy of teaching. It connects long-standing philosophical questions about work and human growth to questions about teacher motivation, identity, and development. • Makes a significant contribution to the philosophy of teaching and also offers new insights into virtue theory and professional ethics

Raising the Bar: Ethics Education for Quality Teachers

Abstract: Since the 1970s an 'ethics boom' has occurred to counter the disappearance of ethics education from tertiary institutions This 'boom' appears to be absent from teacher education programs in Australia and the United States Given persistent calls to enhance teacher quality this is problematic because quality teaching is inexorably linked to teachers' beliefs, values and professional ethics This case study, conducted in a regional Australian university, was designed to document examples of ethical dilemmas faced by pre- service and practising teachers, to explore pre-service teachers' perceptions of ethics education and to examine the BEd course curriculum for ethics subjects across the four-year degree course Results highlight a need for teacher training courses to include ethical philosophy units This represents a sustainable way to support professional practice and enhance teacher quality, by preparing and equipping teachers with techniques to explore and teach complex ethical issues in the classroom Quality teachers are considered to be those individuals whose pedagogy is grounded in values and beliefs that lead to caring, positive teacher-student relationships, embedded in trust and high standards of professional ethics In a context of focused attention upon professional ethics and values education, this case study was conducted to: a) explore professional ethical dilemmas encountered by pre-service and practising teachers, b) explore pre-service teachers' perceptions of the ethics education delivered during their bachelor of education course and c) examine the ethics content of a bachelor of education degree at an Australian university

Ethical dilemmas: A model to understand teacher practice.

Abstract: Over recent decades, the field of ethics has been the focus of increasing attention in teaching. This is not surprising given that teaching is a moral activity that is heavily values-laden. Because of this, teachers face ethical dilemmas in the course of their daily work. This paper presents an ethical decision-making model that helps to explain the decision-making processes that individuals or groups are likely to experience when confronted by an ethical dilemma. In order to make sense of the model, we put forward three short ethical dilemma scenarios facing teachers and apply the model to interpret them. Here we identify the critical incident, the forces at play that help to illuminate the incident, the choices confronting the individual and the implications of these choices for the individual, organization and community. Based on our analysis and the wider literature we identify several strategies that may help to minimize the impact of ethical dilemmas. These include the importance of sharing dilemmas with trusted others; having institutional structures in schools that lessen the emergence of harmful actions occurring; the necessity for individual teachers to articulate their own personal and professional ethics; acknowledging that dilemmas have multiple forces at play; the need to educate colleagues about specific issues; and the necessity of appropriate preparation and support for teachers. Of these strategies, providing support for teachers via professional development is explored more fully.

A Framework for Professional Ethics Courses in Teacher Education

Abstract: Evidence suggests that professional ethics is currently a neglected topic in teacher education programs. In this article, the authors revisit the question of ethics education for teachers. The authors propose an approach to the professional ethics of teaching that employs a case-analysis framework specifically tailored to address the practice of teaching. The framework is designed to expose the prima facie moral considerations that are relevant as teachers make judgments about ethics. The framework does not produce absolute answers, but it leads to a process that increases procedural objectivity in ethical decision making. It therefore helps respect student moral autonomy while resisting the slide into relativism.

The Economist's Oath: On the Need for and Content of Professional Economic Ethics

Abstract: Economists enjoy enormous influence over the life chances of the world's inhabitants, yet do not receive, at any point in their training, any exposure to the professional ethical challenges that their work entails. This lack of attention to professional ethics means that even well-meaning economists will take actions that can cross ethical lines, to the detriment of those whom they seek to serve. The Economist's Oath seeks to initiate a serious conversation among economists about the ethical content of their work, by raising fundamental questions on the nature of what economists do, the reception that ethics has historically had in the profession and why, how this reception is dangerous for all parties involved, the lessons to be drawn from other professions with advanced professional ethics, the principles that could emerge from professional economics ethics, and the kinds of reform in economic education that might be implied by a commitment to professional ethics. The book does not present an ethical expose or seek to embarrass the profession or individual economists, nor does it seek to lay down an ethical law for the profession. Instead, it more modestly but more importantly advances the case for the inauguration of a new tradition of inquiry. DeMartino argues that critical inquiry by economists into professional economic ethics would enhance the quality of the services that the profession offers, might help to prevent avoidable and consequential errors and could provide the communities that economists serve with a standard to which economists could be held accountable. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780199730568/toc.html

A snapshot of child psychologists' social media activity: Professional and ethical practice implications and recommendations.

Abstract: In the face of the ever-growing popularity of social media, psychologists continually encounter new dilemmas regarding our ethical and professional principles. Negotiating the balance between the intrinsically public nature of social media participation and the highly private nature of the therapeutic relationship can be a challenge. Psychologists working with children and adolescents are of particular interest, given both the popularity of social media among children and teens and the specific treatment concerns on which clinical work often focuses. The authors surveyed 246 psychologists and psychologists-in-training regarding their own blogging and social networking practices, as well as their behavior around their clients’ online presence. A majority of respondents indicated that they participate in some form of social media and a lesser, though sizable, percentage reported viewing information about their clients online. Many respondents indicated that they have encountered concerning material on their clients’ social media pages, and there does not appear to be a clear consensus about how psychologists handle matters of Internet safety and privacy with their underage clients. Based on the responses to this survey, a series of considerations and guidelines for our professional practice are proposed, and psychologists are encouraged to engage in thoughtful self-reflection as they establish their own policies regarding these matters.

The treatment of sex offenders: evidence, ethics, and human rights.

Abstract: Public policy is necessarily a political process with the law and order issue high on the political agenda. Consequently, working with sex offenders is fraught with legal and ethical minefields, including the mandate that community protection automatically outweighs offender rights. In addressing community protection, contemporary sex offender treatment is based on management rather than rehabilitation. We argue that treatment-as-management violates offender rights because it is ineffective and unethical. The suggested alternative is to deliver treatment-as-rehabilitation underpinned by international human rights law and universal professional ethics. An effective and ethical community-offender balance is more likely when sex offenders are treated with respect and dignity that, as human beings, they have a right to claim.

Development and Validation of the Cultural Competence Assessment Instrument: A Factorial Analysis

Abstract: The United States is becoming increasingly diverse. Recent data indicates that in 2007 the total non-European White population registered at 34% and that people of color have become numerical majorities in some of the largest U.S. cities (Minckler, 2008). As the ethnically diverse population in the US increases, so does the number of people with chronic health conditions and disability (Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar, Taylor-Ritzler, & Keys, 2010; Fiscella, Franks, Gold, & Clancy, 2000; Stone, 2004). Given these trends, rehabilitation professionals are more likely than ever to encounter individuals with disabilities from diverse ethnic backgrounds in their practice and/or research endeavors and may not necessarily feel prepared to address their needs (Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar & Taylor-Ritzler, 2009; Leung, Flowers, Talley, & Sanderson, 2007; Suarez-Balcazar & Rodakowski, 2007). Cultural competence has emerged as essential in understanding and effectively serving people with disabilities from diverse backgrounds (Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar, Willis, & Alvarado, 2010). In fact, the construct of cultural competence has received much attention in several fields, including rehabilitation (Balcazar, et al., 2009; Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar, Willis, 2010; Lewis & Shamburger, 2010; Matteliano & Stone, 2010; Moffat & Tung, 2004; Olney & Kennedy, 2002; Wilson, 2002); counseling (Dunn, Smith, & Montoya, 2006; Sodowsky, 1996; Sue, Arredondo, & McDavis, 1992); health care and nursing (Campinha-Bacote, 2001; Leninger, 2000; Purnell & Paulanka, 2008); and other health professions such as occupational therapy (Black & Wells, 2007; Bonder, Martin, & Miracle, 2004; Suarez-Balcazar & Rodakowski, 2007; Suarez-Balcazar et al, 2009). Despite the attention that cultural competence has received within these bodies of literature, researchers and practitioners have highlighted the lack of a unified definition of cultural competence. Many of the available definitions propose something slightly different and some definitions omit that becoming culturally competent is a process that takes time and effort (Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar, Willis, et al. 2010). One of the most commonly accepted definitions of cultural competence in the healthcare field was developed in the nursing profession by Campinha-Bacote (1999). According to the author, cultural competence is demonstrated when the practitioner understands and appreciates differences in health beliefs and behaviors, recognizes and respects variations that occur within cultural groups, and is able to adjust his/her practice to provide effective interventions for people from various ethnic groups (Campinha-Bacote, 1999). In the field of rehabilitation counseling, the new code of professional ethics emphasizes the capacity of counselors to work with diverse groups of individuals while embracing a cultural approach that supports the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness of individuals with disabilities within their social and cultural context (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, 2008). Regarding the process of becoming culturally competent, Suarez-Balcazar and Rodakowski (2007) concluded that "becoming culturally competent is an on-going contextual, developmental, and experiential process of personal growth that results in professional understanding and improved ability to adequately serve individuals who look, think, and behave differently from us" (p. 15). Balcazar, Suarez-Balcazar, Taylor- Ritzler, et al., (2010) added that the process of becoming culturally competent can take place through repetitive engagements with diverse groups, by increasing one's critical awareness and knowledge, and by having opportunities for reflection and analysis of professional performance. Professionals are often challenged by the growing number of encounters with immigrants from all areas of the world, whom may require language and cultural adaptations in order to receive services. …

Handbook of Ethics in Quantitative Methodology

Abstract: A.T. Panter, S.K. Sterba, Ethics in Quantitative Methodology: An Introduction. Part 1. Developing an Ethical Framework for Methodologists. J.S. Gardenier, Ethics in Quantitative Professional Practice. R.L. Rosnow, R. Rosenthal, Ethical Principles in Data Analysis: An Overview. Part 2. Teaching Quantitative Ethics. L. Hubert, H. Wainer, A Statistical Guide for the Ethically Perplexed. Part 3. Ethics and Research Design Issues. M.M. Carrig, R.H. Hoyle, Measurement Choices: Reliability, Validity, and Generalizability. S.E. Maxwell, K. Kelley, Ethics and Sample Size Planning. M.M. Mark, A.L. Lenz-Watson, Ethics and the Conduct of Randomized Experiments and Quasi-Experiments in Field Settings. G.J. Cizek, S.L. Rosenberg, Psychometric Methods and High-Stakes Assessment: Contexts and Methods for Ethical Testing Practice. L.C. Leviton, Ethics in Program Evaluation. Part 4. Ethics and Data Analysis Issues. S.K. Sterba, S.L. Christ, M.J. Prinstein, M.K. Nock, Beyond Treating Complex Sampling Designs as Simple Random Samples: Data Analysis and Reporting. G. Cumming, F. Fidler, From Hypothesis Testing to Parameter Estimation: An Example of Evidence-Based Practice in Statistics. J.J. McArdle, Some Ethical Issues in Factor Analysis. H. Goldstein, Ethical Aspects of Multilevel Modeling. C. Enders, A.C. Gottschall, The Impact of Missing Data on the Ethical Quality of a Research Study. J. Pearl, The Science and Ethics of Causal Modeling. Part 5. Ethics and Communicating Findings. H. Cooper, A. Dent, Ethical Issues in the Conduct and Reporting of Meta-Analysis. F. Fidler, Ethics and Statistical Reform: Lessons from Medicine. J.R. Levin, Ethical Issues in Professional Research, Writing, and Publishing.

The status of ethics teaching and learning in U.S. dental schools.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information about the status of ethics teaching and learning in U.S. dental schools and to recommend a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education. A survey to collect this information was developed by the authors and administered by the American Society for Dental Ethics. The results suggest that dental schools have adopted many of the recommendations for curricular content and learning strategies proposed in the 1989 American Association of Dental Schools (now American Dental Education Association) Curriculum Guidelines on Ethics and Professionalism in Dentistry. The survey was sent to the individual who directs the ethics curriculum at the fifty-six U.S. dental schools that had a full complement of enrolled predoctoral classes as of January 2008. All fifty-six schools responded to the survey. The data suggest that, in general, little time is devoted to ethics instruction in the formal curriculum. The mean number of contact hours of ethics instruction is 26.5 hours, which represents about 0.5 percent of the mean clock hours of instruction for dental education programs reported in the most recent American Dental Association survey of dental education. While the amount of time devoted to ethics instruction appears not to have changed much over the past thirty years, what has changed are what qualifies as ethics instruction, the pedagogies used, and the development and availability of norm-referenced learning outcomes assessments, which are currently used by a number of schools. We found that dental schools address a substantial list of topics in their ethics instruction and that there is general agreement as to the appropriateness of the topics and the ethics competencies that need to be developed and assessed. This study also identified the respondents' perceptions of unmet needs in ethics education. Four general themes emerged: the need for ethics to be more fully integrated across the curriculum, including carryover into the clinical years; the need to assess and ensure competence; the need for faculty development; and the need for more attention to method of instruction. Recommendations based on the study findings are offered for a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education.

Values, ethics and empowering the self through cooperative education

Abstract: Following the recent global financial crisis and the collapse of major organisations such as Lehman Brothers, and the earlier corporate failings of Enron and HIH, there has been a shift of focus towards the role of ethics education in the formation of business professionals. In other professional settings, such as policing and medicine, similar major crises have highlighted the significance of the early development of ethical practice in emerging professionals. This paper considers the nature of professional ethics for an emerging professional, arguing that professional ethics should be a key factor in cooperative education programs. The paper considers the role of values and ethics education in empowering the emerging professional to shape and change their workplace. Building on this argument, the paper suggests foundational elements of an approach to professional ethics in cooperative education programs concluding with a suggested research path for further exploration of the content and nature of such an approach.

Professional Virtue and Professional Self-Awareness: A Case Study in Engineering Ethics

Abstract: This paper articulates an Aristotelian theory of professional virtue and provides an application of that theory to the subject of engineering ethics. The leading idea is that Aristotle’s analysis of the definitive function of human beings, and of the virtues humans require to fulfill that function, can serve as a model for an analysis of the definitive function or social role of a profession and thus of the virtues professionals must exhibit to fulfill that role. Special attention is given to a virtue of professional self-awareness, an analogue to Aristotle’s phronesis or practical wisdom. In the course of laying out my account I argue that the virtuous professional is the successful professional, just as the virtuous life is the happy life for Aristotle. I close by suggesting that a virtue ethics approach toward professional ethics can enrich the pedagogy of professional ethics courses and help foster a sense of pride and responsibility in young professionals.

Teaching Ethics to Engineers: Ethical Decision Making Parallels the Engineering Design Process

Abstract: In order to fulfill ABET requirements, Northern Arizona University’s Civil and Environmental engineering programs incorporate professional ethics in several of its engineering courses. This paper discusses an ethics module in a 3rd year engineering design course that focuses on the design process and technical writing. Engineering students early in their student careers generally possess good black/white critical thinking skills on technical issues. Engineering design is the first time students are exposed to “grey” or multiple possible solution technical problems. To identify and solve these problems, the engineering design process is used. Ethical problems are also “grey” problems and present similar challenges to students. Students need a practical tool for solving these ethical problems. The step-wise engineering design process was used as a model to demonstrate a similar process for ethical situations. The ethical decision making process of Martin and Schinzinger was adapted for parallelism to the design process and presented to students as a step-wise technique for identification of the pertinent ethical issues, relevant moral theories, possible outcomes and a final decision. Students had greatest difficulty identifying the broader, global issues presented in an ethical situation, but by the end of the module, were better able to not only identify the broader issues, but also to more comprehensively assess specific issues, generate solutions and a desired response to the issue.

Ethical practice and sports physician protection: a proposal

Abstract: It is in the nature of medical practice that it is always likely to yield ethical problems because of the role that health, illness and injury play in the lives of patients. Sports physicians can find themselves in particularly difficult (though not unique) contexts because of the role of the body in athletic performance, especially at elite and professional levels. Contrary to recent articles,1,–,4 however, Sports Medicine should not be viewed as giving rise to distinct or unique ethical difficulties. Such difficulties as arise in Sports Medicine merely reflect the kinds of challenges and dilemmas (eg, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, consent, disclosure, working with vulnerable populations) as are found in other branches of medicine, though not necessarily in precisely in the same configurations. One common professional response to the recognition of ethical demands and professional ambiguity is to establish codes of conduct such as those published by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM),5 the Australasian College of Sports Physicians (ACSP),6 the International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS)7 and the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FASEM).8 Within the literature of applied ethics,9 sports ethics10 and sports medicine ethics,11 the limitations of these codes as instruments of education, guidance and punishment have long been noted. Most recently, within BJSM, the ACSP has presented and defended their new Code within the broad aim of contributing to the development of a professional community of practitioners.12 One of the merits of the Code that the article draws attention to is the articulation of standards of expectation, differentiating among other things between those actions that are, on the one hand, compulsory from exhortations to best practice on the other. (They capture the distinction in ‘must’ and ‘should’ statements.) Nevertheless, that code …

Descriptions of Dispositions for Assessment in Pre-Service Teacher Education Field Experiences.

Abstract: Field Experiences Background A fundamental task of colleges and departments of teacher education is that of tracking, monitoring, and assessing candidate performance through their program. In recent years, in part because of external accreditation requirements, teacher education programs have been charged with the responsibility of assessing more than their candidates knowledge and skills in teaching. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accreditation process, as well as other professional organizations, requires teacher preparation programs to develop appropriate assessment devices to measure and document candidate dispositions while they are in field and internship experiences. Researchers have already validated indicators of good disposition. The indicators include items like "demonstrates a professional attitude" and "values diversity". A professional attitude can look very different depending on the person doing the rating because these indicators are amorphous by nature. They are therefore open to subjectivity when rating. The disposition assessment could then become problematic when estimating inter-rater reliability which is a violation of measurement standards (AERA, 1999). This requirement has prompted teacher education programs further exploration of what is meant by dispositions and investigating how they can be assessed in advance of this problem. Defining Dispositions Dispositions related to effective teaching have been defined in a number of ways over the years. NCATE (2002) defines dispositions as the values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities that affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator's own professional growth. Dispositions, according to NCATE, are steered by attitudes and beliefs related to values like caring, honesty, fairness, empathy respectfulness, responsibility, and thoughtfulness. NCATE, however, does not specifically define what elements compose target dispositions. The Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) (1992) used the following descriptors to encompass the concept of dispositions: adopts, appreciates, believes, is committed, has enthusiasm, persists, realizes, recognizes, responds, seeks, is sensitive to, understands, and values. Taylor and Wasicsko (2000) define dispositions as the personal qualities or characteristics that are possessed by individuals, including attitudes, beliefs, interests, appreciations, values, and modes of adjustments. Schulte, Edick, Edwards, and Mackiel (2004) define disposition as a pattern of behavior exhibited frequently and in the absence of coercion, and constituting a habit of mind under some conscious and voluntary control, and that is intentional and oriented to broad goals. These definitions described all have some overlap in indicators which suggests construct validity. That is, experts seem to generally agree on the indicators of disposition. There is still an amount of subjectivity present in constructs like these dispositions. Raters/experts may agree to the indicators but not agree upon or understand what is meant by each indicator. The indicators seem to need further refining to understand exactly what is meant by each one. "Respectfulness" and "enthusiasm" are examples often considered to be part of good teacher disposition but the exact behaviors associated with these indicators still remain subjective. Specifically, respectful or enthusiastic behavior may vary by rater especially without identifying descriptions of the constructs. Why Assess Dispositions The importance of disposition assessment was stated by Borko, Liston, and Whitcomb (2007). They explain that dispositions are an individual's tendencies to act in a given manner and are predictive of patterns of action. It suggests that teachers are likely to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in teacher preparation programs to their own classroom teaching when they are not being critiqued. …

Ethical Sensitivity: A Foundation for Moral Judgment

Abstract: . A key goal for a professional ethics teacher is to help students improve their moralreasoning within the context of their profession, with the ultimate aim of developing a commitmentto the values of their future profession. Using Rest’s Four Component Model as a framework, thisstudy examines the relationship between the first two components of moral sensitivity and moraljudgment. The study utilises two sc ores from the same cohort of co mputing undergraduates: a scorefor ethical sensitivity using a devised dilemma analysis; and a score for change in moral judgmentresulting from an educational inte rvention, using the Defining Issu es Test (DIT). Although averageDIT scores showed no significant improvement in moral judgment, this study found that levels ofethical sensitivity had a significant impact on the development of moral judgment. The paperprovides evidence that ethical sensitivity appears to play a key role in the development of moraljudgment. Therefore an initial key objective critical to any ethics course should be to raise studentlevels of ethical sensitivity as a necessary foundation for developm ent of moral judgment. The paperalso highlights the wide range of levels of ethical sensitivity measured within one cohort andsuggests targeted learning support should be provided to students who score in the lower part of thescale to raise their levels of moral sensitivity early in the course.

On administrative evil-doing within social work policy and services: law, ethics and practice

Abstract: This paper explores further the disjunction between espoused professional ethics and ethics in practice, and between law in statute and law in action, the evidence for which was presented in a previous article in this journal. It considers explanations for this disjunction, or corruption of care, including the concept of administrative evil-doing, and reviews the challenges facing social work practitioners, educators and managers when providing ethics-informed leadership. It concludes with recommendations for the reconfiguration of the employment position of social workers in councils with social services responsibilities in England and of the processes by which local policy and practice is monitored.

The contribution of islamic ethics towards ethical accounting practices

Abstract: The professional ethics of accountants is an important issue directly relating to the integrity ofthe profession and its ability to secure the public trust The fraudulent activities in accountingfield indicate the failure of accounting education as the beginning stage of the practice It isperceived that those happen due to deficiency of moral values inserted in the education levelInevitably, education system is alleged as the main cause of the problem Accounting educationseeks for moral values to generate ethical accountants as part of society Accordingly, the visibilityof ethics education in accounting programs may initiate the development of morality andalso increase public confidence in the profession However, the efforts to integrate ethical valuesin educational system will not work well if there are no moral commitments implanted inthe individuals Islam with its divine values plays the notable role to embed cognitive ethicalvalues It emphasizes on the unity of God, the accountability to God and the concept ofmaslahah (public benefits) to be the foundations of ethics Incorporating Islamic ethics into thesystem will be a significant contribution towards generating ethical accounting education Thispaper attempts to elucidate how the Islamic ethics contribute its role towards ethicalaccountants as the products of accounting education Copyright © wwwiisteorg

Confusion and ethical issues surrounding the role of Japanese midwives in childbirth and abortion: A qualitative study

Abstract: This qualitative study describes midwives' experiences in providing care in both pregnancy termination and childbirth in Japan. Midwives working in the general hospital maternity unit assist in both, which is an ethical issue warranting further exploration. Eleven midwives working in a general hospital were interviewed using a semistructured interview, and responses were coded using thematic analysis. Two major themes emerged: the experience of midwives involved in childbirth and pregnancy termination (three subthemes: confusion about care of the baby and aborted fetus, inability to cater to different mothers' needs, and establishing emotional control) and professional awareness and attitude as a midwife (three subthemes: consistency with professional principles, suppression of feelings in relation to aborted fetus, and previous and current professional identities). We found that midwives are isolated in this important social moral issue and its accompanying professional confusion. Suppressing their feelings remains the most common way of dealing with the ambivalence of the roles they fulfill. Improved working conditions and enhanced training on aspects of professional ethics would assist in reducing professional confusion.

Nurses’ stories about their interactions with patients at the Holy Family Hospital, Techiman, Ghana

Abstract: Factors, which induced positive nurse-client interac-tions and barriers to positive nurse-client interactions from the perspective of nurses at Holy Family Hos-pital, were explored. In all, twelve State Registered Nurses participated in semi-structured interviews. Factors which induced positive nurse-client interac-tion included availability of adequate time, showing empathy, giving prompt care, considering nursing as a call (spiritual interpretation) and rendering holistic care. Factors which induced negative nurse-client interaction included differences in beliefs between the nurse and the client, perceptions of unfair treatment, payment requirement and processes, issues with clients’ relatives, client issues, miscommunications and misunderstandings about treatment needs, coer-cion, forced dependence, human resource issues, professional nursing issues, issues with work envi-ronment, nurse issues, lack of communication and good interaction, and dropping of professional ethics. Suggestions for nursing education, practice and ad-ministration have been outlined. Among them is the need to use role-play as a major teaching method for nursing students to develop empathic behaviours so that they can put themselves in clients’ situations. This understanding will allow them to practise quality nursing after completing their educational programs. There is also the need for policy makers in nursing to institute measures to hold nurses accountable if they abuse clients or clients’ relatives. Lastly, as an important tool, nurses and other health care workers can make use of reflective practice to evaluate their professional interactions with clients and their relatives. This will foster positive nurse-client interaction in future.

Confidentiality, disclosure and doping in sports medicine

Abstract: The manner in which healthcare and medical professionals serve their athlete patients is governed by a variety of relevant codes of conduct. A range of codified rules is presented that refer both the welfare of the patient and the maintaining of confidentiality, which is at the heart of trustworthy relations. The 2009 version of the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), however, appears to oblige all healthcare professionals not to assist athletes if they are known to be engaged in doping behaviours under fear of removal from working with athletes from the respective sports. In contrast, serving the best interests of their athlete patients may oblige healthcare professionals to give advice and guidance, not least in terms of harm minimisation. In so far as the professional conduct of a healthcare professional is guided both by professional code and World Anti-Doping Code, they are obliged to fall foul of one or the other. We call for urgent and pressing inter-professional dialogue with the World Anti-Doping Agency to clarify this situation.

When is differential treatment discriminatory? Legal, ethical, and professional considerations for psychology trainees with disabilities.

Abstract: PURPOSE A supervisor may tell graduate trainees with obvious disabilities to disclose the disability to potential clients. Legal and ethical guidelines only partially address whether this requirement is permissible. Here we examine such disclosures from several vantage points. BACKGROUND Professional judgments guide supervisors in deciding whether to request that a trainee disclose a disability. The law provides little guidance to supervisors in making this decision. Instead, professional ethics and beliefs about disability drive decisions, and these beliefs may be prejudicial. METHOD In this article, we examine whether it is good practice for a supervisor in a practicum or internship to require a trainee with an obvious disability to disclose the disability to potential clients before the first meeting so that the client has freedom to request a different therapist. We use this situation to examine the pertinent legal standards; ethical guidelines; and clinical, professional, and social justice issues. CONCLUSION The requirement of disclosure may not be in the best interests of the client and has deleterious repercussions for trainees with disabilities, their peers, and the profession. Unless addressed without prejudice, differential treatment becomes discriminatory and is an obstacle to successful completion of professional education by trainees with obvious disabilities.

Ethics of caring and professional roles

Abstract: Normative discussions about modern health care often revolve around principles stating what must not be done or how to ration scarce resources in the name of justice. These are important discussions. However, in order to have an impact on clinical roles, ethical reflection must be able to describe and address the complexities and challenges of modern nursing and doctoring, and maybe even the patient role. A multi-principled approach, such as the one suggested by Beauchamp and Childress, can obviously address almost any such issue, but a great deal of translation is often required in order to address role-related issues. I shall here argue that an ethics of caring is better suited to grasping the big picture when the question is how to create value-informed clinical roles in an era of rapid development.