For your professional ethics edification in December
Once a month the ACPE Professional Ethics Commission (PEC) posts a couple of statements from our Code of Professional Ethics for ACPE Members. Each posting is accompanied by a brief personal reflection from a member of the PEC discussing some ways this person lives these commitments*. For December, instead of commenting on our ethics standards, we share some resources for learning about professional ethics.
Marianne Robbins, ACPE Certified Educator from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania writes:
Several standards indicate the importance of continuing professional education and growth (Standard 3.a) as well as affirm and respect the human dignity and individual worth of each person (Standard 1. A). Additionally, Standard 5 addresses the way we conduct business matters. Upon reflection, these touchstone points provide several reasons for educating ourselves about the professional ethics of other disciplines. There are: professional ethics for teachers; many of us are Directors/Managers of departments, thus requiring some sense of business ethics; for those working in healthcare settings, medical ethics; as well as ethics within prison systems; and ethics for Veterans Administration environments. Some simple searches on the internet using the above-mentioned topics/professions can lead to a plethora of articles concerning each of these disciplines.
While our individual knowledge may span from a vast understanding to a cursory awareness of the standards for other professions, it might be helpful to expand our knowledge base in the field of ethics. In light of rapid changes with use of technology, pharmacology, neurosciences (yes, there is even a field of neuroethics) as well as long overdue attention to social justice issues, diversity, and microaggressions, broadening our knowledge base around ethics seems tantamount to our work as educators.
A few of the resources that I’ve personally found helpful, and others, are listed below. If other members have resources which can be helpful, feel free to share them with our Professional Ethics Commission Chair at maria.stephenson@ssmhealth.com.
Internet:
slideshare.net (this will be managed by Scribed beginning December 1, 2020) You need an account or log in through LinkedIn.
Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (Illinois Institute of Technology)
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-epcc-introethics-1/chapter/professional-ethics/
Books:
Ethics at the Bedside, by Charles M. Culver
Principles of Biomedical Ethics, by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress
Taking Care: Monitoring Power Dynamics and Relational Boundaries in Pastoral Care and Counseling, by Carrie Doehring
“Reconsidering Supervision as an Ethical Endeavor” by David McCurdy, in Courageous Conversations: The Teaching and Learning of Pastoral Supervision edited by William R. DeLong.
*Every situation is unique, and any member should not take action based solely on the comments in the article but to base action on an independent review of the ethical standards applicable to his/her situation.
ACPE Certified Educator Marianne Robbins works at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and can be reached at marianne.robbins@jefferson.edu