Ethical Issues In Occupational Therapy Essay

The field of Occupational Therapy kept growing. During the 1960s, as a medicine became “specialized”, so did OT. Occupational Therapists were also called upon and qualified to treat in the fields of pediatrics and developmental disabilities.

As a social work student, we are provided with the foundational education necessary to succeed in our profession. The National Association of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics is the most significant publication because it “is intended to serve as a guide to the everyday professional conduct of social workers” (NASW Code of Ethics, 2017). For this assignment, we are charged with exploring other professional codes of ethics to gain a better understanding of how they may be similar or differ from one another. Therefore, I choose to explore the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics with the intention of conducting a comparison analysis of both documents.

Now that I am continuing my education and pursuing my masters in occupational therapy, I understand the importance of spirituality in this practice. Not only does religion focus on one’s specific believes, but also encourages patients to have hope and faith to continue improving their overall health. A lot of times, difficult situations help individuals find answers and meaning to their lives. The course scripture, Psalm 139: 13-14 is perfect in relation to anatomy because is stresses that we are the way we are because of God. God created us and we all serve a purpose in this world despite any illnesses or disabilities. Although we might not understand his reasoning, there is always a purpose.

I have always had the intense desire to care and look after people from a very young age. I firmly believe that everyone deserves the best quality of life possible and this is what had drawn me to occupational therapy as a career path in the first place. It is so easy to take for granted all the everyday tasks we can do and we seldom consider the effect of not being able to complete them. As an occupational therapist I would be able to make a positive impact on someone’s life and make it possible for them to enjoy their life. I want the opportunity to provide support to people, help them gain independence and watch them grow more confident in their own ability. I want to be part of such a rewarding career.

and intrigued by the mind-body connection as well as the importance of human activity and occupation in maintaining mental and physical well-being. At the same time, my desire to work directly with people and be able to make a positive and lasting change to their lives by empowering them and helping discover their strengths and confidence in themselves to achieve their goals, led me to a realization that a career in occupational therapy would be a perfect fit for me.

The social work profession and its Code of Ethics dictate that social workers must act in the best interest of the client, even when those actions challenge the practitioner’s personal, cultural and religious values. In practice; however, ethical decision-making is more complex than in theory. As helping professionals, social workers are constantly faced with ethical decision-making or ethical dilemmas. As noted by Banks (2005), an ethical dilemma occurs “when a worker is faced with a choice between two equally unwelcome alternatives that may involve a conflict of moral principles, and it is not clear what choice will be the right one” (as cited in McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008, p. 43). In addition, ethical

Occupational therapy allows a patient to work towards the goal of being able to perform basic everyday functional tasks. Therapy will differ for each patient, providing purposeful tasks that will allow the most growth for the specific individual needs. Being able to be an independent individual that can perform functional tasks is something that most people strive for, and if something happened that altered this way of life, it can be very stressful and even feel dehumanizing to the patient. Striving for independence and working with the therapists is something that will positively affect the patient's quality of life.

As an occupational therapy (OT) student at the University of Scranton, I have had the privilege of seeking the upmost educational experience that has fostered my knowledge and skills to be able to contribute to the field of OT. However, throughout some of my fieldwork experiences I had the unfortunate experiences of witnessing ethical dilemmas at some of my affiliations. Specifically, I will address the ethical dilemma I observed at my first Level II fieldwork. This summer I spent 12 weeks at a skilled nursing facility located in Staten Island, New York. A major ethical dilemma that I had the ill-fated experience of witnessing was the acts of the certified physical therapists, occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants breaching the confidentiality of the clients of whom they worked

From time to time, social work practitioners face different challenges and one of such example is being confronted with ethical dilemmas. An ethical dilemma is defined as “when the social worker sees himself or herself as facing a choice between two equally unwelcoming alternatives, which may involve a conflict of moral values, and it is not clear which choice will be the right one” (Banks, 2012). Ethical dilemmas can occur in the context of either client or organisational-related conflict situations at work.

As we all knew that occupational therapy provide a practical and relevant interventions that let people improve their quality of the daily life.

Occupational therapy saved my family. Growing up with a sister with severe spastic cerebral palsy to include both cognitive and functional deficits, life existed on a day to day, hour by hour basis, as we were unsure of challenges each moment would bring. This all changed the moment occupational therapy brought quality of life back to me and my family. My very personal experience defined my purpose to become an occupational therapist, to pay the gift given my family forward.

Becoming an occupational therapist is my passion and my long-term career goal. Since a young age I have been incredibly inspired and motivated to befriend and help disabled individuals. Having grown up with a disabled mother who benefited from the services of occupational therapy I had the opportunity to see first hand how the experience gave can give individuals like her fulfilling and productive lives. With both parents working as healthcare professionals, including my mother who is now an occupational therapist herself, I see every day how rewarding the field is. Through my life I have had unique personal, professional and educational experiences that have shaped me into a strong candidate for an advanced education in occupational therapy.

Effective communication is a key component of interprofessional practice to provide the best care for a patient treated by a multidisciplinary team. In my future profession as an occupational therapist there will be many important roles and responsibilities to consider across different specialities. Occupational therapists regularly work with nurses within an interdisciplinary team and the two health professions must practice effective communication, and the skills which foster the effectiveness. Occupational therapists, nurses, and the communication skills these professional require to work in an interdisciplinary team will be discussed.

The ethical issues that are faced in nursing homes stem from a conflict of the institution's policy, staffing concerns regarding safety matters, and the general desires and preferences of the residents. When moving into a nursing, there is a loss of privacy as many residents share bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas. The resident’s independence and decision-making ability over matters such as what to eat, wear, and their entertainment can all be controlled by the nursing facility, and this leads to a loss of autonomy. There are also concerns when the decision-making capacity of a resident conflicts with the general well-being of the nursing home populations. Moral issues that come into play when the resident has demonstrated a lack of competent decision-making practices is that who’s input regarding the resident's well-being has their best interest. For example, the staff who spends more time

From time to time, social work practitioners face different challenges and one of such example is being confronted with ethical dilemmas. An ethical dilemma is defined as “when the social worker sees himself or herself as facing a choice between two equally unwelcoming alternatives, which may involve a conflict of moral values, and it is not clear which choice will be the right one” (Banks, 2012). Ethical dilemmas can occur in the context of either client or organisational-related conflict situations at work.