Ethical Dilemma Of An Occupational Therapist

Most of my professional life to date has focused on working with people with disabilities and in helping them identify and achieve their goals. As an occupational therapist, I had coursework in psychology, but no formal training in counseling. My ability to help my patients reach their highest potential really depended on my professional relationship, or what as therapists we referred to as “therapeutic use of self”. I certainly learned and used specific techniques and assessments over the years to help me achieve better outcomes, but never identified with any specific theory as the framework of my interactions. I recognize there were times when my personality and my skills were a great match and other times when I felt like I just couldn’t figure out the right approach. Thankfully for much of my career, I worked with an interdisciplinary team that included some very skilled psychologists, so I always had the ability to consult.

Upon reflection of the ethical principles affiliated with prescribing for family members, there are clinical, ethical, and legal aspects to consider. According to Thomas et al. (2012), ethical solutions should be integrated and evaluated in all clinical decisions. Nurse practitioners (NP) should refrain from prescribing to self, family, or friends because decisions related to care should be unbiased and fair related to allocation of health resources. This may be difficult under circumstances that involve personal connections. Moreover, there are potential legal and ethical principles that govern practice that may be at risk of when prescribing for family members.

Forester-Miller and Davis’s (1996) ethical decision-making model suggests that the initial step in resolving an ethical dilemma is to first identify the problem and then clarify the nature of the problem. This entails gathering pertinent information that will help elucidate any potential ethical issues. One important matter to reflect upon is whether this dilemma is ethical, clinical, professional, legal or any combination of the aforementioned categories (Forester-Miller & Davis, 1996). Honing in on the nature of the ethical issue will provide some direction as to which avenues are the most applicable for the given ethical situation.

While working with vulnerable groups of individuals in health and social care settings there are times when care workers are faced with a conflict of interests. Very often ethical dilemmas will not have the right answer and will depend upon a number of considerations. When the care worker is faced with a dilemma and will be expected to make a decision. Before making a decision, the care worker must consider their risks to the individual and any other people, the policies of the organisation and if they have all the facts of the case.

Ethical dilemmas happen frequently in the social work and how one handles them could be the difference on how a clinician keeps their license or not. The problem is there is no way to prepare a person from knowing what situations will arise. Scenarios arise all the time and new ways to handle them is constantly changing. The ethical dilemma can happen anywhere and at any time with anyone, it could be a client, co-worker, and even supervisors. No social worker is safe from them. One however can practice with scenarios and be aware of personal biases. A social worker needs to evaluate each dilemma with the different frameworks and principals to determine which one applies best, anticipate what possible outcomes could happen, and what interventions a social worker would implement.

As a medical assistant I can make a patient with a skin disorder feel more comfortable by allowing the patient to tell me what they are willing to do. I would not overstep my boundaries by pushing a patient to do something that they are not comfortable with. Although if the doctor is recommending that a patient needs to show more skin than they are used to, I as the medical assistant will tell the patient why it is advised and why they should corporate. If the patient still does not want to do it, I will simply note it in their chart and let the doctor handle the situation from then on.

Throughout history there has been many ethical dilemmas that have resulted in change, and many that have still not been resolve. These dilemmas often result in controversial issues arising, and both sides of the spectrum arguing as to which proposed idea is the morally correct one. Today, there is an enormous controversy in the ethical dilemma involving child care. This issue revolves around whether the views of the parents should be upheld when their child is in danger medically. To further assess the impact of this ethical dilemmas, a case study involving the treatment implemented on a child by a physician while opposing the views and wishes held by the parents will be analyzed in terms of the ethics of the situation, the stakeholders, values,

The ACA Code of Ethics states, “when counselors are faced with ethical dilemmas that are difficult to resolve, they are expected to engage in a carefully considered ethical decision-making process,” (ACA, 2014, p. 3). Throughout these three case studies, I will use the seven-step ethical decision-making model to address the important professional issues, relevant ethical codes, and legal standards (Forester-Miller & Davis, 1996). By applying the steps to each case I will share how I came to my resolutions.

What is occupational therapy? How does one define the profession and validate its worth in the medical field? Since its conception as an established health care profession, occupational therapy’s philosophy has been defined, redefined, and refined. In their writings esteemed Occupational Therapists Mary Reilly and Susan Peloquin offer their own critical and revisionary ideas of occupational therapy’s worth, the basic need it fulfills, and its service to the healthcare profession. Both women ask their peers to refine what is

The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes an occupational therapist as one who treats patients who are ill, injured, or disabled by the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help patients develop, recover, and improve the skills needed for daily living and working (2014-15).The Occupational Handbook describes the many jobs of these occupational therapists in steps. It states that the process begins with observing patients, interviewing them, and reviewing medical history. Once they evaluate the patient’s condition and needs, they develop a treatment plan that includes various activities to help them accomplish specific goals (2014-15). Occupational therapists can help with various disabilities in patients of all ages. For example, if an autistic child struggles with pinching the buttons on a shirt in order to button them, a therapist could give the child tasks such as beading, in order to teach them to grasp using two fingers (Sheryl Bos interview). They can also aid patients in learning how to operate special equipment and even educate a patient’s family or teacher/employer on how to accommodate and care for them (Occupational Handbook 2014-15). OTs can work in many settings as well. They are able to work in educational setting as well as mental settings. With this range, OTs can work in hospitals, schools, rehab centers, home health, or nursing care facilities (Occupational Handbook 2014-15). In order to become successful occupational therapists, the

When looking at ethical dilemmas in human services one must be able identify and address the dilemma properly. Within the module for this week I am to evaluate three different dilemma scenarios and describe how I would approach each. In addition, I will be identifying what steps in the evaluation process I have used to make my decision on each ethical dilemma.

Healthcare professionals will be faced with ethical dilemmas throughout their career, particularly in the hospital environment. Having an education regarding professional healthcare ethics will provide some direction in how to best address these dilemmas at a time when either the patient or their family is in need of making decisions for themselves or their family member. It can be difficult for healthcare professionals to weigh professional protocol against their own personal beliefs and ethical understandings when determining critical care for their patient.

Traditionally, social worker are expected to not impose their own values on their clients, and suspended judgment about client behaviors, even when their own values or society values demand a judgement (Dolgroff, Harrington & Loewenberg, 2012). This can often pose difficult ethical decisions for social workers and clients, as personal value systems are inevitable. Social worker value gap, value neutrality and value imposition are important to consider when analyzing any ethical situation with our clients. Consideration needs to be given to both the social worker and the client as they interact together, although it is the social worker’s role to not impose their own values onto the client. The social worker must uphold the value of self

In no more than 3,000 words you are required to complete an essay on ethical issues in the practice of counseling, by addressing the following question:

The profession of rehabilitation counseling seeks to provide assistance to individuals who suffer from developmental, emotional, mental, and physical disabilities. These professionals give the support needed for struggling individuals to continue leading fulfilling lives, and maintaining their independence. In order for a rehabilitation counselor to provide their services with the highest quality, they must complete their duties all the while pertaining to the appropriate code of ethics. At times, the ability to do so can be challenging, therefore resulting in the need for a rehabilitation counselor to reference a practitioner’s guide for assistance in ethical decision making. The utilization of a secondary source insures that the specialist can make the best possible decisions regarding the person in their care. In order to complete this case study, the provided practitioners guide to ethical decision making, the Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors, and two peer reviewed journal articles, will be used as supplementary tools.