Ethical Dilemmas Faced by OT Students

OT Dude Academy’s Free NBCOT® Exam Prep Course Process Ethical Dilemmas Faced by OT Students
  • A case study by Wells (2007) identified ethical principles of autonomy veracity, justice, fidelity, and beneficence as being at risk in clinical decision-making.1 
  • “Therapists frequently feel powerless, not wanting to ‘rock the boat’, or threaten job security.”2 

Critical thinking exercise: which ethical principle is potentially violated in the following research findings and how would you manage each situation? (More than one ethical principle may apply.)

  1. Professional-student relationship – students and new grads may face barriers when approaching a situation in which they disagree with a qualified OT.
  2. Professional boundaries – students and new grads may have difficulty distinguishing between professional and unprofessional behavior.
  3. Disclosure of information – other members of the multidisciplinary team may not follow best practices when discussing patient information. 3 
  4. Insufficient resources (funding, equipment, staff) to provide the intervention you want.
  5. Excessive caseloads and productivity – occupational therapy practitioners may be faced with situations in which may be unsafe, unethical, and/or unlawful.
  6. Social ethical dilemmas can arise such as being regarded as a friend or when therapists are invited to clients’ birthday parties, given gifts, or invited to meet a client at a cafe outside of work time.4 
    1. What would you do if a client gave you a gift?
    2. Asked you out on a date?
    3. Asked to be your friend?
  7. Moral duties – what would you do if you were disclosed information that may indicate abuse or neglect of a client?5 

 

  1. Wells JK (2007) Ethical dilemma and resolution: A case scenario. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics 4(1): 31–33.[↩]
  2. Hammell KW (2007) Client-centred practice: Ethical obligation or professional obfuscation? British Journal of Occupational Therapy 70(60): 264–266.[↩]
  3. Nortjé, N., & De Jongh, J. (2015). Ethical dilemmas experienced by occupational therapy students–the reality. African Journal of Health Professions Education, 7(2), 187-189.[↩]
  4. Kassberg AC and Ska¨r L (2008) Experiences of ethical dilemmas in rehabilitation: Swedish occupational therapists’ perspectives. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 15(4): 204–211.[↩]
  5. Van Denend T and Finlayson M (2007) Ethical decision making in clinical research: Application of CELIBATE. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 61(1): 92–95.[↩]
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