Discrimination Within Private Physical Therapy Practices

Discriminatory practice in health and social care happens for many reasons including some important factors that are normally the cause of discriminatory practice for example a person may be discriminated against because on the basis of their diversity. One important discriminatory practice is because of culture. A person’s Culture is important to them and identifies who they are in the world. It is developed within the social group they are raised in, and can change when they are mature enough to decide for their selves what culture best suit them. In addition respecting a person’s culture is

What is discrimination you ask well it is the treatment or consideration of, or making

All types of discrimination can also lead to negative behaviour and can partly cause aggression or crime; even living in poverty and experiencing discrimination can affect an individual’s behaviour as well. Due to the negligence they may take out their frustration on the care providers or others in the society which would make them in the wrong and after being investigated this may or may not change because of the client’s self-esteem or pressure levels. As well as taking it out on the care providers, they are also able to take it out on health and social care professionals.

Professional associations establish codes of ethics to ensure that clinicians uphold the standards of their association in order to protect the clients they serve and the profession they are affiliated with. This paper will compare the codes of ethics of the American Counseling Association (ACA), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

Part 3(P3): Describes the potential effects of discriminatory practice can have on staff and individuals using health and social care.

Equality: ‘Some careers, and the people they care for, experience discrimination or harassment because of their age, disability or caring role, or for other reasons such as race, sex or sexual orientation’(www.nhs.uk). Discrimination can affect your work, cause problems in your other activities.

Discrimination has the potential to affect individuals in wide-ranging ways. In health and social care, the effects of discrimination can be catastrophic and even end in the death of a service user. Anyone planning a career in health and social care should be aware of the potential negative effects caused by discrimination. We will explore them here.

I believe that my personal and professional growth and behavior as a physical therapist is of utmost importance. I base this firstly on my strong connection to those in society who are disadvantaged when it comes to physical therapy, and also on the movement system, movement being “the key to optimal living and quality of life for all people that extends beyond health to every person’s ability to participate in and contribute to society” (American Physical Therapy Association, 2013). This perspective, I believe, is aligned perfectly with the vision statement for the physical therapy profession – to transform society through optimization of movement to improve the human experience (APTA, 2013). After reviewing the vision statement, I strongly believe it will act as my guide by strengthening compassion, reinforcing advocacy, improving quality of service, and strengthening cohesion.

Code of Ethics of Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is to attain and uphold high standards of professional integrity toward clients, coworkers, employers, CAOT, etc. All the members of CAOT are required to follow the code of ethics. It talks about how members of CAOT should have qualities like integrity, loyalty, reliability, professional communication, etc. It also asks us to value and respect clients’ rights in their decision-making, rights to be treated with respect and dignity within a safe and non-judgmental setting, and respecting

The APA code of ethics general principles intent is to guide and inspire psychologist toward the highest ethical standards of the profession. The five basic principles are beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people’s rights and dignity.

On September 8th, 2015, I first began interning for Dr. Dawn Cox and her staff of experienced Physical Therapists at PRANA Functional Manual Therapy in Lancaster, PA as a Physical Therapy Aide. Intermittently, on the first day of my internship, I would ask the therapists “Why choose Physical Therapy as a profession?” One of the Physical Therapists conveyed that aside from the substantial benefits a job provides, it was the intangible materials that gave the profession a meaning. As a student exploring the field of Physical Therapy, I have infallibly witnessed professionalism at PRANA and other Physical Therapy facilities through the therapists’ altruism towards patients -without violating ethical practices as professionals; their apposite use of communication with each individual at the workplace; and their sense of accountability when things go unforeseen.

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, professionalism is defined as “consistently [demonstrating] core values by aspiring to and wisely applying principles of altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect, communication and accountability, and by working together with other professionals to achieve optimal health and wellness in individuals and communities". In the context of being a student in a doctor of physical therapist degree program, there is no better model than the precursors before you. As an employee in an acute care rehabilitation setting, I have the opportunity of seeing firsthand the professional qualities that are essential in this profession.

For over 75 years the profession of physical therapy has required it's members to adhere to a standard of ethical behavior.1 The first Code of Ethics adopted by the American Physiotherapy Association in 1935 focused mainly on the relationship between the physical therapist (PT), referring physician, and the disciplinary actions of violating that relationship.2(p.4) Since then the Code of Ethics has evolved into what the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) refers to as the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (PT Code), and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA Standards).2(p.5),3,4 Today the Code and Standards are designed around the association's core set of values to

Becoming a competent ethical therapist is more than knowing the codes of ethics in his/her profession. It is about developing the knowledge and understanding about the code of ethics to make ethical reasoning within the confines of the AAMFT and laws so the practitioner can make the best determination or choice of what to do, especially when the laws and ethical rules become obscured making it difficult to adhered to the code (Gehart, 2014). Every practitioner should always abide by the law even if it conflicts with any part of the code of ethics. But, he/she must abide by the law

Discrimination in the workplace occurs when an employee experiences harsh or unfair treatment due to their race, religion, national origin, disabled or veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Discrimination is one of the biggest problems people face in the workplace and it must be dealt with forcefully.