Download Ethics—Walk the Talk

Ethics—Walk the Talk
Kathleen C. Niedert, PhD, RD, CSG, LD
Iowa Dietetics in Health Care Communities
April 25, 2014
Ethical Lines Do Exist
• Lying
• Cheating
• Stealing
Why Bend the Rules?
“I do it so that I get a good outcome. It doesn’t hurt to bend a (policy)
(regulation) (law) (rule) if you get a good outcome”
Every day we have those “gray” areas
• Client-related decisions
• Practicing beyond a person’s qualifications, capabilities, education, or experience
• Providing both sides of an issue
• Appropriate business practices
• Clinical
• Billing and proper use of health care resources
• Appropriate advertising services
“Gray” Areas where ethics comes into play
• Appropriate business practices (cont.)
• Food Service
• Rebates
• Human resource decisions
• Relationships with professionals, customers and employees
• When a conflict of personal interest may be involved if self-disclosure of a
relationship is not revealed
• Covering up a substance abuse problem
Ethics is the Struggle Between…
“Right & Wrong”
“Moral & Immoral”
“Just & Unjust”
Ethics: (eth/iks)
1. The study of standards of conduct and moral judgment.
2. The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral
choices to be made by a person.
3. The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the
members of a profession.
Ethics
The code of moral principles and values
that govern the behaviors of a person or
group with respect to what is right or
wrong.
Influence on Personal Ethics
 People
Your family played a large part in shaping your personal ethics.
Your family member and friends exert strong influence on your ethics.
Teachers, especially when you were younger, may have laid the
foundation for ethical decisions.
Influence on Personal Ethics

Culture
 Culture is an integral part of every society.
 It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life.
 Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit sense of the term, culture
constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. Culture is way of life.
 A culture is a way of life that is based on beliefs and values, such as art, food, dance, rituals, religion, etc
Influence on Personal Ethics

Culture
 Culture is an integral part of every society.
 It is a learned pattern of behavior and ways in which a person lives his or her life.
 Culture is essential for the existence of a society, because it binds people together. In the explicit
sense of the term, culture constitutes the music, food, arts and literature of a society. Culture is way
of life.
 A culture is a way of life that is based on beliefs and values, such as art, food, dance, rituals, religion,
etc
Influence on Personal Ethics
 Law
Laws, some argue, represent the minimum standard of behavior.
Law is a set of rules in society set by the government in order to maintain control.
Law of state has much and more influence one personal ethics.
Acting ethically mean following the law.
Influence on Personal Ethics
 Law
Laws, some argue, represent the minimum standard of behavior.
Law is a set of rules in society set by the government in order to maintain control.
Law of state has much and more influence one personal ethics.
Acting ethically mean following the law.
Influence on Personal Ethics
Religion
 Religion is belief in super natural and divine power or powers and
how we relate to them. It comprises belief and practice.
Religious traditions give instructions to followers about what’s right
and wrong. That is, belief systems define what is or isn’t ethical.
 In some religions, unethical behavior is punished and ethical
behavior is rewarded. In other religions, teachings provide guidelines
for ethics, but leave latitude for the believer to interpret what is
ethical and what isn’t
Criteria for
Ethical Decision Making
• Most ethical dilemmas involve
A conflict between needs of the part & whole.
The individual versus the organization.
The organization versus society as a whole.
Background to Ethical Context
An Ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves
an apparent mental conflict between moral imperatives, in
which to obey one would result in transgressing another. This
is also called an ethical paradox.
Making ethical decisions is relatively easy when all the facts of
a situation are known.
Background in Ethical Context
Ethics As a Communication Issue
We communicate our values and beliefs t others via verbal and nonverbal
behavior
We are defined in the eyes of others according to the way we behave
We also need to communicate to others the importance and necessity of
good ethics
It follows that we have a responsibility to act in ways that promote honest and
fairness to maximize the personal worth of each person in the organization
Background to Ethical Context
Ethics in Corporations – A Historical View
Companies have long fought the battle of corporate corruption. Because
corporations are run by people and no human being is morally perfect,
ethical issues are bound to arise. How these issues are handled is the
best indicator of a corporation’s ethical commitment. Establish ethically
moral behavior in your corporation by taking the task seriously.
When company executives behave unethically, that behavior often ends
up in the news. While most companies have ethics policies, they don't
necessarily enforce or even follow them. By incorporating ethics into the
very heart of the business and reinforcing the idea of ethical behavior,
businesses can run efficiently, legally and ethically.
Communication and Ethical Issues
 Key Areas for Ethical
Communication
Key areas for ethical
communication
Ethical treatment of a subject takes time, thought, and preparation.
As a professional, it is important for you to focus on ethical
communication in three key areas:
Personal Written and Spoken Messages
Cross-Cultural Messages
Advertising Messages
Communication and Ethical Issues
Personal Written and Spoken
Messages
Your messages, both written and spoken, demonstrate not only the
message, you intended but also a message regarding your values and
integrity.
Use these guidelines to evaluate your purpose and motives in each
situations.
The guidelines are:
1.Message purpose
2.Research methods
3.Selection of material
4.Development of ideas
5.Use of language
6.Ethical context
7.Self-analysis
Communication and Ethical Issues
 Key Areas for Ethical
Communication
Cross-Cultural Messages
Never before have so many people from different cultures lived and
worked together.
The world has become a global village, and the work force reflects that
diversity. Because we have such different customs and ways of
communicating, it is natural that misunderstandings occur in the
workplace.
The cross-cultural ethical outline will help you assess your ethicality in
multicultural situations.
Cross-Cultural Ethical Guidelines:
1.Cultural context
2.Misunderstandings
3.Language
4.Accountability
Communication and Ethical Issues
Key Areas for Ethical
Communication
Advertising Messages
It is ethically wrong to advertise products in ways that confuse.
Whether promoting a college jazz event, a gateway weekend, or a
line of products for a multimillion dollar company, the rule for ethical
advertising is consistent:
Tell the truth, don’t misrepresent , and don’t manipulate language to
create a false impression.
Ethical Guidelines for Advertising:
1.Language
2.Graphics/print
3.Omission
4.Truth
5.Accountability
Communication and Ethical Issues
Ethics and Organizational
Responsibility
Business corporations exists for one reason: to make money . Today,
however, corporations are mindful of their corporate social
responsibility, or CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), also known as
their "triple bottom line," which includes a concern for profits, but also
an ethical treatment of people and the world in which we live.
Proponents of CSR models say that businesses are actually more
profitable when they employ high CSR standards, but that idea is still
disputed by some corporate and financial analysts.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Environment
Human Rights
Community Development
Employee Welfare
Three Pillars of an Ethical Organization
SOURCE: Adapted from Linda
Klebe Trevino, Laura Pincus
Hartman, and Michael Brown,
“Moral Person and Moral
Manager,” California
Management Review 42, No. 4
(Summer 2000), 128-142.
The Academy’s/CDRs Code of Ethics
A compass for ethical conduct
Types of Codes
•Aspirational
•Educational
•Regulatory
The Code consists of Five Categories
1.
Fundamental Principles
2.
Responsibilities to the Public
3.
Responsibilities to Clients
4.
Responsibilities to the Profession
5.
Responsibilities to Colleagues and Other Professionals
Nineteen Principles
Functions of the Code of Ethics
The code is intended to:
• Protect the profession and the credential
• Influence public and private policy
• Improve professional practice
• Educate dietetics practitioners about ethical decision making
• Meet the guidelines of the accrediting agency for the Commission on
Dietetic Registration
Misconceptions about the
Code of Ethics
The Code is not intended to:
• Identify and reprimand all unqualified dietitians and dietetic technicians
• Be a punitive force to take away credentials
The Code of Ethics
Accessing the Code
• Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, August 2009, pages
1461-1467.
• Academy Web site – www.eatright.org/codeofethics
Ethics Requirement
• Current published Professional Development Portfolio Guide for
Cycles Ending 2019 includes the requirement of a minimum of 1
CPEU in ethics, effective with the 5-year recertification cycle which
ends May 31, 2017.
• Must meet Learning Need Code 1050
• A number of resources available to meet requirement
Tools & Resources
www.eatright.org/codeofethics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ethics Committee
Ethics Team at Headquarters
Ethics For Further Reading List
FNCE sessions*
Ethics Opinions*
Ethics in Action columns*
Ethics Case Studies*
• Impact of Social Media on the RDN and DTR (NEW)
• Case Studies and Discussion Question for Ethics Video Series*
• Ethics Video Series*
Access to the Ethics Committee
• Any member or non-member can make a complaint.
• Complaints are not anonymous but are confidential.
• If a complaint is made, it is forwarded to the member for a response.
• The Ethics Committee then reviews the complaint and discusses the
response in executive session.
Ethics Case Management Procedure
• The enforcement procedures are intended to permit a fair resolution of
disputes on ethical practices in a manner that protects the rights of
individuals while promoting understanding of ethical practice.
• The Ethics Committee has the authority and the flexibility to determine
the best way to resolve a dispute, including educational means where
appropriate.
What happens next…
• Case may be dismissed
• Further information may be requested
• Person may be contacted with specific actions for educational
intervention
What happens next…
• Membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics may be
censured, placed on probation, suspended, or revoked
• RDN or DTR credential or specialist credential may be suspended or
revoked
• Ethics Committee uses a defined policy and procedure handbook to
guide its decisions.
Ethical Issue or Not ?
• Legal, regulatory, or ethical issue?
• Employer policy issue?
• Personal issue?
• Business dispute?
• Academy/CDR member issue?
• If violation of the Code violation-cite principle violated
Recent Complaints
# Inquiries
# Complaints
Complaint Types
8
1
Personal dispute
15
5
Inappropriate advice (3); Practice
without a license; Copyright violation
16
6
Inappropriate advice; Personal
dispute; Poor business practice (4)
24
11
18
5
Poor business practice (5); Licensure
violation (4); Lack of scientific
support; Legal violation
Personal dispute; Lack of scientific
support (2); Misuse of RDN, Poor
business practice