What a professional code of ethics is and summarize
In this assessment, you will explore what a professional code of ethics is and summarize a specific code of ethics.
Start with an introduction, and then consider these questions to be answered in the script/audio:
What is a professional code of ethics?
What are the benefits of having a code of ethics?
What should be included in all codes of ethics?
What is a code of ethics for a clinical manager?
Why should any professional be aware of a professional code of ethics?
How will you use this information in your future?
A professional code of ethics is a set of principles designed to help a business govern its decision-making and distinguish right from wrong. Often referred to as an ethical code, these principles outline the mission and values of an organization, how the professionals within the organization are supposed to approach problems and the standards to which employees are held.
In some industries, such as finance or public health, specific laws dictate professional conduct. In other industries, a code of ethics may be voluntarily adopted. For example, a business that doesn’t necessarily focus on climate change might still detail its commitment to sustainability in its official code of ethics.
A professional code of ethics is designed to ensure employees are behaving in a manner that is socially acceptable and respectful of one another. It establishes the rules for behavior and sends a message to every employee that universal compliance is expected. It also provides the groundwork for a preemptive warning if employees break the code. A code of ethics can be valuable not just internally as a professional guide but also externally as a statement of a company’s values and commitments.
Here are some examples of a professional code of ethics in different professions:
Lawyers are bound to a professional code of ethics that exists independently of their employment.
For example, Rule 1.1 in the American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct reads, “A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. Competent representation requires the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness and preparation reasonably necessary for the representation.”
Like lawyers, physicians are held to a universal code of conduct because of their chosen profession. The American Medical Association addresses everything from patient care to relationships with other staff members. For example:
A physician shall provide competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights.
A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all professional interactions and strive to report physicians deficient in character or competence, or engaging in fraud or deception, to appropriate entities.
A physician shall respect the law and recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.