Showing papers on "Professional ethics published in 2021"

Priority-setting dilemmas, moral distress and support experienced by nurses and physicians in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway.

Abstract: Background:The global COVID-19 pandemic has imposed challenges on healthcare systems and professionals worldwide and introduced a ´maelstrom´ of ethical dilemmas. How ethically demanding situations...

Chatbot breakthrough in the 2020s? An ethical reflection on the trend of automated consultations in health care.

Abstract: Many experts have emphasised that chatbots are not sufficiently mature to be able to technically diagnose patient conditions or replace the judgements of health professionals. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has significantly increased the utilisation of health-oriented chatbots, for instance, as a conversational interface to answer questions, recommend care options, check symptoms and complete tasks such as booking appointments. In this paper, we take a proactive approach and consider how the emergence of task-oriented chatbots as partially automated consulting systems can influence clinical practices and expert-client relationships. We suggest the need for new approaches in professional ethics as the large-scale deployment of artificial intelligence may revolutionise professional decision-making and client-expert interaction in healthcare organisations. We argue that the implementation of chatbots amplifies the project of rationality and automation in clinical practice and alters traditional decision-making practices based on epistemic probability and prudence. This article contributes to the discussion on the ethical challenges posed by chatbots from the perspective of healthcare professional ethics.

A Tale of Three Excellent Chinese EFL Teachers: Unpacking Teacher Professional Qualities for Their Sustainable Career Trajectories from an Ecological Perspective

Abstract: Teachers’ quality has long been researched in the field of general education. However, little attention has been paid to the professional qualities of excellent English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in the context of English curriculum reform, especially from an ecological perspective. To address this gap, this study adopted a qualitative approach to characterise the qualities of excellent senior high school EFL teachers in China and the development of their professional qualities using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model. Four interconnected dimensions of excellent EFL teachers’ professional qualities were confirmed: English language pedagogical content competence, beliefs about the foreign language teaching profession and professional ethics, beliefs about foreign language teaching and learning, and beliefs about language teacher learning and development. Meanwhile, the EFL teachers constructed and developed their professional qualities in their dynamic interaction with the complex ecological systems where they lived. The paper considers these various teacher-related factors in the ecological systems and provides some suggestions for sustaining EFL teachers’ professional development.

Philosophy of Education in a New Key: exploring new ways of teaching and doing ethics in education in the 21st century

Abstract: Within the rough ground that is the field of education there is a complex web of ethical obligations: to prepare our students for their future work; to be ethical as educators in our conduct and teaching; to the ethical principles embedded in the contexts in which we work; and given the Southern context of this work, the ethical obligations we have to this land and its First Peoples. We put out a call to colleagues whose work has been concerned with the pedagogies of professional ethics, the ethical burdens of institutional injustice, and the application of ethical theory to education’s applied fields. In the responses we received it can be seen that ethical concerns in education are broad ranging, covering terrain varying from the preparation of preservice teachers, ethics in higher education, early childhood and care, educational leadership, relational and communicative ethics. Perhaps it could also be argued that this paper demonstrates Gibbon’s observation that ‘Assumptions about the particularity of this time as new and ripe with opportunity to make a difference through philosophy of education are not new and there’s much to learn from the persistence of wanting to imagine that they are’ (in Peters et al., 2020, p. 17). However, while the field of ethics is perennially concerned with human relations and pedagogical interventions to improve these, the responses collected here show that educational ethics is far from static. Educational ethics is a field that continues to develop in response to changing contexts.

Self-Defeating Codes of Medical Ethics and How to Fix Them: Failures in COVID-19 Response and Beyond.

Abstract: Statements of the core ethical and professional responsibilities of medical professionals are incomplete in ways that threaten fundamental goals of medicine. First, in the absence of explicit guidance for responding to cases in which there is significant uncertainty or disagreement about the relative therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic merits of available interventions they perpetuate self-defeating practices. Second, without addressing the role of advertising in shaping patient and community preferences they risk creating moral loopholes that bypass and undermine professional duties of fidelity, honesty and transparency. In both cases, these flaws are exacerbated by an individualism that ignores the critical role of health systems in managing and reducing uncertainty and conflict over best practices, and in communicating with and shaping the expectations of the public. These points are illustrated with examples from the response to COVID-19 and suggestions for reform are proposed.

‘Equipping students with an ethical compass.’ What does it mean, and what does it imply?

Abstract: The expression that professionals should be led by their moral or ethical compass is increasingly used by academics, policy makers, professionals, and educational institutes. Dutch universities of ...

Preserving professional identities, behaviors, and values in digital professionalism using social networking sites; a systematic review

Abstract: Despite a rapid rise of use of social media in medical disciplines, uncertainty prevails among healthcare professionals for providing medical content on social media. There are also growing concerns about unprofessional behaviors and blurring of professional identities that are undermining digital professionalism. This review tapped the literature to determine the impact of social media on medical professionalism and how can professional identities and values be maintained in digital era. We searched the databases of PubMed, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and EBSCO host using (professionalism AND (professionalism OR (professional identity) OR (professional behaviors) OR (professional values) OR (professional ethics))) AND ((social media) AND ((social media) OR (social networking sites) OR Twitter OR Facebook)) AND (health professionals). The research questions were based on sample (health professionals), phenomenon of interest (digital professionalism), design, evaluation and research type. We screened initial yield of titles using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria and selected a group of articles for qualitative analysis. We used the Biblioshiny® software package for the generation of popular concepts as clustered keywords. Our search yielded 44 articles with four leading themes; marked rise in the use of social media by healthcare professionals and students, negative impact of social media on digital professionalism, blurring of medical professional values, behaviors, and identity in the digital era, and limited evidence for teaching and assessing digital professionalism. A high occurrence of violation of patient privacy, professional integrity and cyberbullying were identified. Our search revealed a paucity of existing guidelines and policies for digital professionalism that can safeguard healthcare professionals, students and patients. Our systematic review reports a significant rise of unprofessional behaviors in social media among healthcare professionals. We could not identify the desired professional behaviors and values essential for digital identity formation. The boundaries between personal and professional practices are mystified in digital professionalism. These findings call for potential educational ramifications to resurrect professional virtues, behaviors and identities of healthcare professionals and students.

Ethical Issues in Using Behavior Contracts to Manage the "Difficult" Patient and Family.

Abstract: Long used as a tool for medical compliance and adhering to treatment plans, behavior contracts have made their way into the in-patient healthcare setting as a way to manage the "difficult" patient and family. The use of this tool is even being adopted by healthcare ethics consultants (HECs) in US hospitals as part of their work in navigating conflict at the bedside. Anecdotal evidence of their increasing popularity among clinical ethicists, for example, can be found at professional bioethics meetings and conversations and idea-sharing among practitioners on HEC social media. While there are a handful of papers gesturing toward a bioethical critique of behavior contracts of various types, the use of behavior contracts in the context of interpersonal conflict has not been vetted by bioethicists to determine their ethical legitimacy or efficacy. In this paper, we highlight a set of ethical concerns that we believe must be addressed before continuing or widespread implementation of behavior contracts to manage the "difficult" patient or family.

The development of moral sensitivity of nursing students: A scoping review.

Abstract: Moral sensitivity is known to be the starting point for moral competence and even is a core concept in the curricula for bachelor's-level nursing students in the Netherlands. While the development of moral sensitivity in nursing is commonly agreed to be important, there is no clear understanding of how to develop moral sensitivity through nursing education and what components of nursing education contribute to moral sensitivity. Studies on educational interventions could build knowledge about what works in developing moral sensitivity and how to achieve this outcome. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore if and how educational interventions contribute to the development of moral sensitivity in nursing students. A scoping review was conducted. Four electronic databases were searched: CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE and SpringerLink. Articles that were not about formal or initial nursing education and that had no link to moral development or moral sensitivity were excluded. After the final selection on educational interventions, 10 articles out of the initial 964 resources were included in the review. Three different but related dimensions of moral sensitivity emerged from the literature: (1) raising moral awareness, (2) providing the ability to frame and name ethical issues and (3) improving moral reasoning ability. Half of the studies used quantitative measures to evaluate the educational intervention, in particular the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire; the other half used diverse qualitative evaluation methods. None of the studies presented teaching methods that included all three dimensions of moral sensitivity. Moral awareness of self appears to be more loosely connected to the other two dimensions, which raises the question of whether it can be seen as a prerequisite for them. To encompass all dimensions of moral sensitivity, a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures seems most appropriate to study that topic.

Improving Ethics: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior to Include Moral Disengagement

Abstract: We extend the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) for ethics in the workplace. Using a path modeling methodology, we find evidence that, for ethics, moral disengagement is an antecedent to the TPB predictors of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC). We show that the TPB predictors mediate the influence moral disengagement has on ethical behavioral intentions. Thus, to improve ethical behavior, reducing moral disengagement is critical. We find support for including both types of PBC (self-efficacy and locus of control) when modeling ethical behavior. We use four ethics scenarios and international data to test this model. We also evaluate potential positive influences on ethics in the workplace and find that recency of ethics training interacts with religiosity and activates it to reduce moral disengagement. We also find that principles-based ethics training enhances professionals’ self-efficacy to behave ethically. Experience, including time as a member in a professional accounting organization, increases both locus of control and self-efficacy to behave ethically. These variables—recency of ethical training, religiosity, principles-based professional ethics training, and experience—influence parts of the core TPB model, which in turn lead to improved ethical behavioral intentions.

Forms of ethical dilemmas in industrial-organizational psychology

Abstract: Professional ethics has not been a major focus in industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology—in comparison with our study of unethical behavior in organizations. Consequently, we know very little about ethical situations actually faced by I-O psychologists. This article presents and tests a structural perspective on understanding the nature of ethical dilemmas that can facilitate such study. A taxonomy of five paradigmatic forms of ethical dilemmas is defined and placed in a theoretical context. Narrative descriptions of 292 ethical situations were obtained from a sample of 228 professional members of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) in the United States and were used to empirically test the taxonomy. The narratives were content analyzed for form of dilemma, work domain of occurrence, relevance to human resource administration concerns, and favorability of the situation’s resolution. The work domains that were most problematic were academic research/publication activities, individual assessment/assessment centers, consulting issues regarding the client, and academic supervising/mentoring. There were no significant differences as a function of respondents’ sex, seniority, or professional membership status (member/fellow). This relatively “content free” structural aspect of ethical dilemmas enables comparisons across different domains (of professions, organizations, demographic groups, age cohorts, etc.) in which the overt idiosyncratic ethical problems experienced are not commensurable. Similarly, it can yield interpretable longitudinal comparisons despite changes in the manifestations of ethical problems encountered over time.

Effect of Professional Ethics, Audit Quality, and Workload on Materiality Levels Consideration

Abstract: The level of materiality is a professional judgment that affects the auditor's perception of the needs of those who have sufficient knowledge and who place confidence in the financial statements. Materiality relates to decision making that will give rise to confidence in users of financial statements that the financial statements are free from material misstatement and are by accounting principles. This study aims to examine and obtain evidence of the influence of professional ethics, audit quality, and workload on the consideration of Bali public accounting firms' materiality levels. The study population was auditors at Bali's public accounting firm, registered in the Ikatan Akuntan Public Indonesia Directory, which was still active until 2020. The sample in this study was 80 respondents who were determined based on the purposive sampling method. The analytical tool used to test the hypothesis is multiple linear regression. The results showed that professional ethics and audit quality had a positive effect on the materiality level. Meanwhile, the workload does not affect the materiality level consideration.

Measures for Curbing Unethical Practices among Construction Industry Professionals: Quantity Surveyors’ Perspective

Abstract: Unethical practices have been a reoccurring menace in the construction industry globally, with its negative impact reported in existing studies. While several studies have explored issues touching on ethics, ethics compliance and unethical practices within the construction industry, the problems persist especially in developing countries. It is based on this notion that this study assessed the possible measures that could help curb unethical practices in the construction industry with specific reference to Quantity Surveyors (QS). The study adopted a quantitative approach with structured questionnaires used to garner information from registered QS in Nigeria. Data analysis was done using relevant descriptive and multivariate analysis. The reliability of the instrument used was also tested using Cronbach alpha test. The findings revealed that while QS are no strangers to unethical practices, most cases are not reported to the appropriate authorities. The most prevalent of these practices are payment-related and contract-related. To curb these practices, random inspections and development of ethical compliance, ensuring a good reporting and punishment system, and increase ethical awareness through QS organised programmes are needed. The findings of this study would assist the professional bodies and organisations within the industry to effectively enforce ethical conduct among their members and staff.

Education, collaboration and pedagogical phronesis: essential dimensions in professional learning and development

Abstract: This article aims to elaborate multiple dimensions of ethical perception in professionalism and introduces novel didactic viewpoints on educational routes through which professionals learn and deve...

Ethical Challenges of School Principals during of COVID-19

Abstract: Background: Today, societies pay attention to ethics and moral values, emphasizing that moral values should be preserved and kept alive in educational organizations. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the ethical challenges of schools’ principal in the Corona period. Methods: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in terms of method. Its statistical population included educational management professors and schools’ principal of West Azerbaijan Province. Sampling was done systematically through snowball technique and based on theoretical saturation criterion. Research data was collected by reviewing 21 articles related to the ethics of educational management or educational leadership in the COVID 19 period and then through semi-structured interviews (17 people) based on the model of qualitative interviews and its criteria, in an approximate. Data were categorized using thematic analysis method in the form of basic, organized and comprehensive themes. Results: The results showed that the ethical challenges of schools’ principal in Corona period as a comprehensive theme included 98 basic themes. According to the classification of basic themes, 7 organizing themes, including professional ethics, social-communicative ethics, individual ethics, technical-educational ethics, spiritual ethics, behavioral ethics, and decision-making ethics were obtained. Conclusion: The results showed that the closure of schools under COVID exacerbated 19 ethical problems in the education policies and practices, creating moral challenges in them. In this regard, principals are expected to use their knowledge and ethical skills to improve their scientific knowledge to address the problem of students at school during the Corona epidemic. Keyword: Principals 'ethics, COVID 19, Professional ethics, Educational ethics D ow nl oa de d fr om ij et hi cs .c om a t 2 3: 50 + 04 30 o n F rid ay A ug us t 2 0t h 20 21 [ D O I: 10 .5 25 47 /ij et hi cs .3 .1 .1 5 ]

Harnessing Multidimensional Legitimacy for Codes of Ethics: A Staged Approach

Abstract: How can codes of ethics acquire legitimacy—that is, how can they lay down obligations that will be seen by their subjects as morally binding? There are many answers to this question, reflecting the fact that moral agents have a host of different bases on which they may acknowledge code duties as ethically binding—or, alternatively, may reject those duties as morally irrelevant or actively corrupt. Drawing on a wide literature on legitimacy in other practical fields, this paper develops a multidimensional legitimacy framework, describing ten distinct sources of legitimacy. It illustrates how these sources can be seized, not only by the code’s content, but by opportunities presented in the main stages of code development, adoption and implementation. In so doing, it aims to provide practical resources for code developers and ethics reformers in organizations and industries to avoid critical missteps, and to maximize the impact and efficacy of their work.

European Nursing Council Code for European nursing and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Abstract: A code of ethics for the practice of nursing seeks to capture, in a written document, the normative values, ethical principles and standards of good care to guide nurses - qua moral agents. A codification of the accepted collective values of nursing can play a constitutional and directional role for the profession. It can further stimulate discussions about nursing that reflect the dynamic essence of the profession. Consequently, there is merit to continually reflecting on a code's function and role especially when a new or revised code is introduced to the nursing profession and the wider public such as the European Nursing Council's Code of Ethics and Conduct for European Nursing. This paper examines codes of ethics in general and the European Nursing Council Code in particular using the framework of Gaumnitz and Lere. Although the European Nursing Council Code has all the ingredients of a contemporary professional ethics code, our position is that future iterations or addenda to this Code should be aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and take a more radical step in becoming an exemplar of a nursing code that can be a catalyst for the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Bending our ethics code: Avoidable deception and its justification in psychological research.

Abstract: . Deception of research participants has long been and remains a hot-button issue in the behavioral sciences. At the same time, the field of psychology is fortunate to have an ethics code t...

A 30-Year Systematic Review of Professional Ethics and Teacher Preparation:

Abstract: Professional ethics in teacher preparation is an area that has received minimal attention in the special education literature. In this systematic review, 18 journals affiliated with the Council for...

Unprofessional conduct by nurses: A document analysis of disciplinary decisions

Abstract: Background:A small minority of nurses are investigated when they fail to meet the required professional standards. Unprofessional conduct does not just affect the nurse but also patients, colleague...

Software Engineering Ethics Competency Gap in Undergraduate Computing Qualifications within South African Universities of Technology

Abstract: Computing graduates working as software engineers are expected to demonstrate competencies in various categories of software engineering ethics as a component of non-technical skills that complement technical skills. Therefore, university programme offerings should provide opportunities for students to develop software engineering ethical competence. This study analyses curriculum documents to determine the extent to which entry-level undergraduate computing qualifications of Universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa provide opportunities to empower students with software engineering ethical competence. We used summative content analysis to analyze texts within the UoT computing undergraduate qualifications related to software development as retrieved from the South African Qualifications Authority database. ATLAS.ti text analysis tool was used to classify texts according to predetermined software engineering ethics categories to determine the extent to which the qualifications under study expose students to software engineering ethics. The results show that the coverage of the various categories of software engineering ethics by UoT computing qualifications for software development is insufficient, incomplete and superficial, providing only limited opportunities for prospective software engineers to develop software engineering ethical competence. Lack of adequate inclusion of software engineering ethics by UoT qualifications in South Africa deprives prospective software engineers an opportunity to develop ethical competence required to become ethically successful software engineers. Such limited exposure by software development graduates risks the development of potentially unethical software products in the software industry.

Conscience and conscientious objection in nursing: A personalist bioethics approach.

Abstract: The ability of nurses to act as moral agents in accordance with their conscience is both an essential human freedom and an important part of professional ethics. Recent developments in Canada relat...

An examination of the ethical dilemmas of school counsellors: opinions and solution recommendations

Abstract: Ethical dilemmas are concerning for school counsellors in Turkey. This article presents findings of a qualitative study exploring the views and suggestions of 16 school counsellors in Rize, Turkey. Content analysis was performed on the data obtained from interviews with the participants. The results of the study showed that the school counsellors had the most knowledge about the competency principle of school counselling codes of ethics. The study also showed that regarding legal aspects of school counselling, the participating counsellors had the most knowledge about professional duties and responsibilities, yet they considered themselves inadequate in terms of both professional ethics and legal aspects of counselling. It was concluded that the school counsellors were confronted with ethical dilemmas mostly in cases of confidentiality, and it was understood that the counsellors mostly chose to do research to overcome these dilemmas.

Encouraging student ethical behavior through ethical climate in higher education

Abstract: This study investigated the direct and indirect effects of learning styles, ethics education, and ethical climate on student’s ethical behavior The samples were obtained through a proportionate random sampling technique so that 273 students had taken the courses of conservation education, professional ethics for teachers, and business ethics The data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed using path analysis The research findings showed that learning styles and ethical education could directly influence ethical behavior At the same time, the ethical climate did not have a direct influence on ethical behavior The ethical climate could not mediate the effect of learning styles and ethics education on ethical behavior It means that learning styles and ethical education contribute significantly to the formation of good behavior and student’s characters It is supporting a learning styles approach suggests that it offers benefit to students

Inadequacies of Relying Only on Teachers’ Deontological Professional Codes of Ethics in Teacher-education: Why Virtue-ethics Might Offer a Complementary Option

Abstract: This article’s point of departure is the normative position that nurturing the ethical behaviour of teacher trainees requires something beyond masterly of a professional code of ethics. Although a codified professional code of conduct, as a form of deontological ethics, might be helpful in ushering teacher trainees into the teaching profession by explaining expected norms of behaviour, it is associated with certain critical weaknesses. This article argues for the complementarity of virtue ethics, which emphasises the interrelatedness of agents and commitment to the professional code of conduct and other institutionalised social values. Related teacher education management implications are highlighted.

Assessment of nurses’ ethical performance from the perspective of mothers and nurses in pediatric wards of beast hospital, Hamadan, 2019:

Abstract: Background and aimDifficult moral situations assume more critical importance in pediatric wards since children are more vulnerable than adults. Given that professional ethics is a substantial part ...

Is there a need for a clear advice? A retrospective comparative analysis of ethics consultations with and without recommendations in a maximum-care university hospital.

Abstract: The theory and practice of ethics consultations (ECs) in health care are still characterized by many controversies, including, for example, the practice of giving recommendations. These controversies are complicated by an astonishing lack of evidence in the whole field. It is not clear how often a recommendation is issued in ethics consultations and when and why this step is taken. Especially in a facilitation model in which giving recommendations is optional, more data would be helpful to evaluate daily practice, ensure that this practice is in line with the overarching goals of this approach and support the development of standards. We analyzed all consultations requested from an EC service working under a facilitation approach at a maximum-care university hospital in Germany over a period of more than 10 years. Our aim was to better understand why—and under what circumstances—some consultation requests result in a recommendation, whereas others can be sufficiently addressed solely by facilitated meetings. We especially wanted to know when and why clients felt the need for clear advice from the EC service while in other cases they did not. We compared ethics consultations in terms of the differences between cases with and without recommendations issued by the ethics consultants using χ2 difference tests and Welch’s t-test. A total of 243 ECs were carried out between September 2008 and December 2019. In approximately half of the cases, a recommendation was given. All recommendations were issued upon the request of clients. When physicians asked for an EC, the consultation was significantly more likely to result in a recommendation than when the EC was requested by any other party. ECs in cases on wards with ethics rounds resulted in comparably fewer recommendations than those in wards without ethics rounds. When interpersonal conflicts were part of the problem or relatives were present in the meeting, clients less frequently asked for a recommendation. From the client’s point of view, there does not seem to be only one “right” way to provide ethics consultations, but rather several. While facilitated meetings are obviously appreciated by clients, there also seem to be situations in which a recommendation is desired (especially by physicians). Further empirical and theoretical research is needed to validate our single-center results and re-evaluate the role of recommendations in ethics consultations.

The future of continuing education and lifelong learning in sport psychology professionals: A Delphi study.

Abstract: 24 One of the fundamental competencies for psychologists is to practice according to the 25 ethical standards and principles of their profession. Two ways of achieving these standards include 26 engaging in continuing education (CE) and lifelong learning (LL). Sport psychology professionals 27 (SPPs) have frequently noted the importance of engaging in CE and LL to improving one’s 28 professional practice, yet no research currently exists specifically examining these concepts in the 29 sport psychology literature. A panel of 16 expert SPPs were invited to participate in a 3-phase 30 Delphi study. This multinational panel of experts was selected based on their involvement in 31 committees charged by sport psychology organizations with developing and implementing CE for 32 their membership. The Delphi approach was used to better understand SPPs’ views on: the optimal 33 delivery, assessment, and impact of CE and LL, as well as the SPP’s beliefs regarding the “half34 life” of knowledge within the sport psychology field. The SPPs in the Delphi mainly worked in 35 academic (65%) or applied (37.5%) settings with an average professional experience of 14 years. 36 While the experts considered CE and LL to be important, they reported limited of engagement and 37 investment in either activity. Moreover, the SPPs predicted an increase in e-learning methods of 38 delivery and anticipated a growing impact of CE and LL in supporting professionals. Finally, the 39 participants predicted a reduction in the “half-life” of sport, but not performance, psychology 40 knowledge over the next 10 years. Such predictions highlight the salience of professional 41 organizations promoting engagement with CE and LL. 42 43