Ch. 24 - Professional Ethics

Autonomy

Person's self-reliance, independence, liberty, rights, privacy, individual choice, freedom of the will, and self-contained ability to decide

Beneficence

Doing of good; active promotion of goodness, kindness, and charity

Caring

Care for; an emotional commitment to and a willingness to act on behalf of a person with whom a caring relationship exists

Code of Ethics

Articulated statement of role morality as seen by the members of a profession

Confidentiality

Belief that health related information about individual patients should not be revealed to others; maintenance of privacy

Consequentialism

Belief that the worth of actions is determined by their ends or consequences; actions are right or wrong according to the balance of their good and bad consequences

Duties

Obligations placed on individuals, groups, and institutions by reason of the so-called moral bond of our interdependence with others

Ethical Dilemmas

Situations requiring moral judgment between two or more equally problem-fraught alternatives; two or more competing moral norms are present, creating a challenge about what to do

Ethical Outrage

Gross violation of commonly held standards of decency or human rights

Ethical Theories

Bodies of systematically related moral principles used to resolve ethical dilemmas

Ethics

Systematic study of rightness and wrongness of human conduct and character as known by natural reason

Ethics of Care

Ethical reflections that emphasize an intimate personal relationship value system that includes such virtues as sympathy, compassion, fidelity, discernment, and love

Fidelity

Strict observance of promises or duties; loyalty and faithfulness to others

Justice

Equitable, fair, or just conduct in dealing with others

Laws

Regulations established by government and applicable to people within a certain political subdivision

Legal Rights

Rights of individuals or groups that are established and guaranteed by law

Liberal Individualism

Basis for rights-based ethical theory; each individual is protected and allowed to pursue personal projects

Moral Principles

General, universal guides to action that are derived from so-called basic moral truths that should be respected unless a morally compelling reason exists not to do so; also referred to as ethical principles

Moral Rights

Rights of individuals or groups that exist separately from governmental or institutional guarantees; usually asserted based on moral principles or rules

Moral Rules

Statements of right conduct governing individual actions

Morals

Generally accepted customs, principles, or habits of right living and conduct in a society and the individual's practice in relation to these

Non-consequentialism

Belief that actions themselves, rather than consequences, determine the worth of actions; actions are right or wrong according to the morality of the acts themselves

Nonmaleficence

Ethical principle that places high value on avoiding harm to others

Norms

Standards set by individuals or groups of individuals

Principle-Based Ethics

Use of moral principles as a basis for defending a chosen path of action in resolving an ethical dilemma; also see Principlism

Principlism

Belief system based on a set of moral principles that are embedded in a common morality

Professional Ethic

Publicly displayed ethical conduct of a profession, usually embedded in a code of ethics; affirms the professional as an independent, autonomous, responsible decision maker

Professional Ethics

Internal controls of a profession based on human values or moral principles

Professional Etiquette

Manners and attitudes generally accepted by members of a profession

Rights

Justified claims that an individual can make on individuals, groups, or society; divided into legal rights and moral rights

Rights-Based Ethics

Belief that individual rights provide the vital protection of life, liberty, expression, and property

Rules of Ethics

ARRT's mandatory standards of minimally acceptable professional conduct. These are enforceable and can result in sanctions should the ARRT determine the certificate holder has violated any of the rules.

Social Contract

Relationship that exists when two mutually dependent groups in a society recognize certain expectations of each other and conduct their affairs accordingly

Standards of Professional Conduct

Practice behaviors that are defined by members of a profession

Values

Ideals and customs of a society toward which the members of a group have an affective regard; a value may be a quality desirable as an end in itself

Value System

Collection or set of values that an individual or group has as each person's personal guide

Veracity

Duty to tell the truth and avoid deception

Virtues

Traits of character that are socially valued, such as courage

Virtue-Based Ethics

Ethical theory that emphasizes the agents who perform actions and make choices; character and virtue form the framework of this ethical theory