Finding ethics in and out of codes: ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare interpreting student interns

Abstract

Establishing a code of ethics is a requirement an occupation must meet to become a full-fledged profession. In healthcare interpreting, several professional associations have published their own codes. Students are introduced to these codes in the classroom, but when they access the profession they often face ethical dilemmas that may overlap with their professional obligations. This paper explores a series of ethical dilemmas faced by students that first encounter the workplace as part of an internship programme. Drawing on participant observation and post-encounter interviews, we identify ethical dilemmas, describe the interns’ behaviour, and illustrate the rationale behind their choices. This allows us to isolate factors that hinder participants from strict adherence to codes of ethics (i.e., the theory-practice gap, contextual restrictions, and human emotion). In the light of results obtained, we encourage trainers and interpreters to develop critical ethical thinking in different healthcare scenarios to facilitate assessing the consequences of (not) following a code of ethics.
 Keywords: Healthcare interpreting, Ethical dilemmas, Code of ethics, Student interns, Training