Beyond the Code of Ethics: Educating Physical Therapists for Their Role as Moral Agents

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This article presents a model for the educational preparation of physical therapist students that prepares them to take on their role as agents. The authors contend that the study of the components of physical therapy practice and the preparation of physical therapist students for their role as agents need to take a central position in physical therapy education. A model for the education of physical therapist students is presented to address the three primary goals of (1) promoting the development of behavior in physical therapist students, (2) promoting the integration of students into the values and behaviors of the profession of physical therapy, and (3) promoting the students' ability to become an active part of a dialogue on the components of physical therapy practice. These three primary goals of an ethics curriculum are described, curricular objectives are discussed, content areas are identified, and recommended instructional strategies are presented. INTRODUCTION Every physical therapy curriculum includes some discussions of behavior and the issues related to physical therapy practice. The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education requires that some form of instruction in professional ethics be included in all accredited physical therapy education programs. Because this requirement is nonprescriptive, the extent and focus of this instruction can differ greatly from one program to another. In this article, we propose that the study of the components of physical therapy practice and the preparation of students for their role as agents need to be a central and valued component of physical therapy education. We further recommend that education for physical therapist students include activities that promote: (1) the development of behavior, (2) the integration of students into the values and behaviors of the profession, and (3) the students' ability to engage in dialogue on the components of physical therapy practice. These primary goals, as outlined in the Table, frame our discussions of the areas we believe to be important in the process of preparing physical therapist students for their role as agents. We begin this discussion with the students we admit into our professional programs. A Place to Begin Students in physical therapy are generally good people. They enter our education programs with an honest desire to help others and as individuals who want to do the right thing. There are exceptions to this characterization and, although those exceptions are certainly a concern of ours, we do not want to dwell on them here. We will start with the general assumption that the vast majority of students in our professional education programs are people who strive to act ethically. What is it then that physical therapist students need to learn regarding behavior in clinical practice? It could be argued that good character and an understanding of the Code of Ethics are all that is needed to ensure good professional behavior. We agree that character is a good place to begin and that understanding the Code of Ethics is an important step in professional development. However, we contend that there are additional skills and habits of thought that need to be developed before students are prepared to deal with the demands of clinical practice. In this article, we identify some of those additional considerations and explore strategies for addressing them in physical therapy curricula. In this article, we use the term moral to refer to the personal characteristics and actions of an individual, and we use the term ethical to describe a systematic study of behaviors and an evaluation of how the actions of an individual conform to professional standards of conduct. These terms overlap when we consider an individual acting as a agent in a professional encounter. …