Code Of Professional Conduct Research Articles

How do Australian veterinarians perceive professional conduct in their profession?

ObjectiveProfessional skills required for meeting standards of veterinary professional conduct demanded by the public, colleagues and the community are recognised as being equally important to the technical skills required of a veterinarian. To reflect current standards in the profession, this project describes how Australian veterinarians perceive aspects of veterinary professional conduct.MethodsUsing an anonymous survey, opinions of Australian veterinarians were sought on perceptions of importance of professional conduct criteria derived from the eight standards listed in the Australian Veterinary Association's Code of Professional Conduct. Participants rated the importance of 15 statements on a six‐point Likert scale. Univariable analysis of 98 completed responses was conducted where impacts of age, gender, career stage and the industry on the dependent variable (response to each statement) were evaluated using ordinary logistic regression analysis in R studio where odd ratios (ORs) were determined, and significance was at P < 0.05.ResultsThe statement revealing the highest mean score with respect to perceived importance was ‘that veterinarians hold the health, welfare and respectful treatment of animals as a key concern’. Results indicated high levels of consensus with nine of 15 statements revealing no significant differences based on age, gender, career stage, and for all statements no significant difference based on nature of work. Six statements demonstrating significant differences were based on either gender, age or career stage.ConclusionsThis study provides insights into how Australian veterinarians perceive professional conduct. Results provide an aid for future study development and contribute to the discussion of veterinary professionalism.

Aligning artificial intelligence with ethical accountancy: A global perspective on emerging frameworks

This study meticulously examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the accounting sector, revealing transformative opportunities alongside emerging ethical challenges. Drawing inspiration from established principles of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct (AICPA, 2016), an innovative Accounting Framework for AI Ethics (AFAIE) is introduced. This framework aims to provide a tailored approach that ensures that the adoption of AI technologies aligns with the fundamental professional values of trust and integrity. It aims to address the concerns and potential risks associated with the use of AI and establish guidelines that promote accountability and transparency in the development and deployment of AI systems. The essence of this research is underscored by the advocacy for resilient ethical paradigms that are instrumental in navigating the complexities introduced by AI in accounting. Emphasizing a global perspective, this study advocates universal ethical guidelines, ensuring adaptability to specific regional and professional contexts (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants [ACCA], 2016; Bertucci et al., 2021). This synthesis of technology and ethics aims to foster an environment in which innovation thrives alongside steadfast adherence to professional integrity and responsibility.

Compromising your morals: The perils of new beginnings as an auditor

AbstractThis real‐world inspired case describes an ethical dilemma for a recently hired auditor and new Certified Public Accountant (CPA)/Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) who must choose between cheating on a mandatory firm audit training and exam and suffering the possibility of negatively affecting her advancement with the firm and future compensation. The purpose of this case is to provide students the opportunity to identify an ethical dilemma, apply accounting ethics codes to evaluate potential responses and recommend an ethical course of action. Students completing this case will (1) understand the common pressures and complexities associated with an ethical dilemma; (2) be exposed to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA Code) Code of Professional Conduct and the International Ethics Standards Board (IESBA Code) International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants; (3) apply knowledge of the AICPA Ethics Decision Tree to a real‐world inspired ethical dilemma; (4) evaluate and analyse the various courses of action to an ethical dilemma; and (5) demonstrate the impact tone at the top and organizational culture have on employees and the firm. The case was very effective in exposing and enhancing student's overall knowledge 4.28 (σ = 0.57) and application 4.28 (σ = 0.65) of the AICPA Code.

Ethical principles and posting on social media platforms

Ethical principles and posting on social media platforms

Relational justice and relational pedagogy in professional social care work

ABSTRACT The principle of social justice is central to the newly regulated profession of Social Care Worker [SCW] in Ireland and the language of social justice features in the Standards of Proficiency [SoP] and Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics [CPCE]. This is very welcome given the history of institutional neglect and abuse in Irish social care. However, social care work in Ireland lacks a tradition of social justice in theory and practice, and policy is generally couched in minimalist terms of individual civil and political rights, equality of opportunity, and non-discrimination and is heavily focused on protection and risk management. Beyond this, exactly what social justice entails in social care work is poorly developed. This paper aims to advance a critical perspective on social care practice and pedagogy that integrates four interrelating social justice principles: redistribution, recognition, representation, and relational justice. Social care work and similar social professions are ideal contexts to incorporate principles of relational justice and develop models and skills for relational pedagogy because they are guided by an ethic of care at the micro-level of affective interactions, but they must do so in ways mindful of structural injustices and pursue both individual and institutional change.

What are the ethical considerations of using video social media platforms such as TikTok in your dental practice?

What are the ethical considerations of using video social media platforms such as TikTok in your dental practice?

Promoting professional judgement through peer debate in radiation therapy undergraduate curriculum.

Radiation therapists (RTs) are often required to exercise professional judgement when faced with the ambiguity inherent in professional dilemmas not comprehensively accommodated by the professional Code of Conduct. Clinical educators therefore need to design curriculum that motivates students to apply professional judgement in ambiguous situations. Role play and peer debate enables development of competencies related to professional judgement. The aim of this short communication is to report on the rationale for and integration of peer teaching resources that prompt students to justify, through discussion and debate, the basis of their own judgement and those of their peers.

Political challenges and ethics in the office

Political challenges and ethics in the office

Unsupported and unrealistic expectations? Misalignment between teachers’ required knowledge of the law in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers and Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education

ABSTRACT This research investigates the extent to which educational law features and is constructed in the Teaching Council's documentation for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes (2017, 2020) and in the Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers (Code) (2016), and analyses teachers’ required knowledge of the law across these documents. Document analysis was used to track changes and provide insights. The findings indicate that teachers’ knowledge of educational law has a low profile in the criteria used to review and accredit ITE programmes. Despite significant developments in law related to schools and teachers since 2017, including additional statutory requirements for child protection, the 2020 document does not have a commensurate increase in emphasis on law. Contrastingly, the findings indicate a high profile, and a high bar, for teachers’ knowledge of the law in the Code. Recommendations include that the Teaching Council analyse graduates’ legal knowledge during registration to ensure that they have the requisite skills to adequately perform as a professional; that the emphasis on educational law be increased in the ITE criteria so that it is aligned with the Code, and that programme providers fulfil their duty of care to students by providing them with adequate standalone modules on educational law.

From the President and IFST News

From the President and <scp>IFST</scp> News

The Concept of Professional Ethics and Debates on Professional Ethics in the Legal Profession: The Case of Ankara

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which professional ethics, which is a criterion of professionalism, is realized for public sector lawyers and corporate lawyers (including lawyers working in law offices) and for self-employed lawyers, and to compare and evaluate the findings. This study examined how the problem of professional ethics in the practice of law is handled according to the professional status of lawyers (self-employed, public and corporate), and it aims to contribute to the literature by focusing on both the perceptions and expectations of the two groups regarding professional ethics. The findings obtained from the research were evaluated by considering the Attorneys’ Act, the Code of Professional Conduct, and professional practices. It was observed that there is a significant difference between perceptions and expectations of all lawyers participating in the research, without a distinction between public sector and corporate or self-employed, regarding compliance with professional ethics. When the professional ethics perceptions of self-employed lawyers and of public sector and corporate lawyers are compared, no significant difference is found. However, in terms of professional ethical expectations, it is observed that there are significant differences between the two groups regarding some ethical dimensions.&nbsp;

When Health Intersects with Gender and Sexual Diversity: Medical Students’ Attitudes towards LGBTQ Patients

ABSTRACT A central tenet of the health professions is that of equitable access to health care. However, disparities in equitable healthcare provision continues to be a challenge in many societies due to prejudices against the LGBTQ community. This study was aimed at exploring the attitudes of medical students toward LGBTQ patients in Malaysia. A qualitative approach was adopted to seek depth of understanding of clinical year medical students’ perceptions and attitudes toward LGBTQ patients. Data were collected in 2018 through individual interviews and focus group discussions with a total of 29 participants, using a semi-structured question guideline. Purposive sampling comprised representation from the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Thematic analysis using NVivo highlighted three main themes i.e., neutrality, in compliance with the Professional Code of Conduct; implicit biases and tolerance of an Odd Identity; explicit biases with prejudices and stereotyping. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the nature and issues of sexuality is problematic as found in this study. They are primarily biases and prejudices projected onto marginalized LGBTQ patients who must contend with multiple jeopardies in conservative societies such as in Malaysia. With some state policies framed around Islam the concern is with the belief among Malay/Islamic students for LGBTQ individuals to go through conversion ‘therapies’ to become cisgender and heterosexual.

Ethical perspectives of certified public accountants and the cannabis industry

BackgroundCertified public accountants must follow very high standards of ethical conduct as set forth by the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and individual state licensing requirements. A 2019 grounded theory qualitative study posed that CPAs remain largely hesitant to serve the cannabis industry primarily because they fear federal prosecution as long as cannabis remains on the DEA’s Schedule I Drug List. The purpose of this research was to determine the perceptions of CPAs regarding providing accounting services to the cannabis industry in states that have legalized cannabis usage. This study investigated whether CPAs would serve the industry, why they might decline to serve the industry, what risks they believe serving the industry posed, and whether they believe serving the cannabis industry would create a moral or ethical issue.MethodsThis follow-up quantitative study investigated a small convenience sample of approximately one hundred CPAs in Colorado and Washington to learn more about their perceptions of serving the cannabis industry. Data was analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine if there were any differences in perceptions between groups such as states, gender, and age categories.ResultsOf the participants, 77% responded that neither they nor their firm provided services to a cannabis-related business client compared to 23% that did serve cannabis clients. More Colorado CPAs were willing to turn down CRB work than were expected and fewer Colorado CPAs would be willing to take on CRB clients than were expected. While in Washington, fewer CPAs would turn down RB clients than expected, and more are willing to accept CRB clients than were expected. The risk due to potential liability coverage issues due to serving the cannabis industry was rated the highest while the risk of losing the CPA license was rated lowest. Data indicated that there was not a statistically significant difference between Colorado and Washington participants related to whether they were morally or religiously opposed to working in the industry or if they viewed serving the industry as an ethical violation.ConclusionCPAs remain largely unwilling to serve the cannabis industry primarily because CPAs fear federal prosecution as long as cannabis remains on the DEA’s Schedule I Drug Listing. The results of this study indicate that while most CPAs are not morally or religiously opposed to serving the industry, about half still believe doing so may constitute an ethical violation for a CPA.

An ethical perspective to using bone grafts in dentistry

An ethical perspective to using bone grafts in dentistry

The potential benefit of local anaesthetics during routine ovariohysterectomy

Registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) play an essential and responsible role in pain management by identifying and alerting the veterinary surgeon (VS) to allow the appropriate management of pain. This comes with a legal and moral obligation in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act (2006) and the Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Nurses to provide prompt analgesia to their patients. Ovariohysterectomy is a common procedure performed within veterinary practices. It is a painful procedure and appropriate analgesia is paramount otherwise there could be compromises to the patient's recovery. Patients with inappropriately managed analgesia are more likely to interfere with their wound and have an increased risk for surgical site infections. Using local anaesthetics during the procedure is likely to show intraoperative and postoperative benefits to the patient. RVNs can be the leading force for a multimodal analgesia approach by using current evidence-based research, utilising their skills and applying their knowledge to collaborate with the VS to provide exceptional care for their patients. This will provide further evidence and justification towards the protection the RVN title.

Use of Social Media in Health Care-Opportunities, Challenges, and Ethical Considerations: A Position Statement of the American Academy of Neurology.

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Code of Professional Conduct (CPC)1 formalizes the standards of professional behavior for AAN members. The CPC provides the ethical principles and professional standards that neurologists and other neuroscience professionals should or must observe in their clinical and scientific activities. While ethical principles do not change with time, developments in technology and social structure may lead to a change in how these principles are applied. One such technological development is social media—a class of communication tools that has rapidly grown in number and popularity in recent years. The AAN developed this position statement to review in-depth how social media use has transformed clinical practice, with a particular focus on neurologic practice, and, by exploring the relevant principles in the CPC,1 to provide an ethical framework for neurology professionals and trainees to consider when engaging in social media. This statement complements the CPC; it is not a replacement for the AAN Web site's Code of Conduct, Privacy Policy, or Terms of Service.

What Is Best for the Child? Pediatric Dental Care during COVID-19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the dental health profession in an unprecedented manner. Suspension of elective dental care across the United States during the initial phase of the pandemic was necessary to prevent viral transmission. The emergency dental care that was provided had to be tailored to minimize the generation of aerosols. With the suspension of elective care, over time, the proportion of dental emergencies was anticipated to rise. Dentists who care for children have continued to provide emergency dental treatment to this vulnerable population. Treatment decisions for pediatric dental emergencies had to be tailored to principles of public health that best mitigated risk of viral transmission. Decisions needed to balance the benefits of chosen treatment modality for the individual child with the risk of viral transmission to dental professionals and their staff, patients, and community. The paucity of reliable research for dentists to aid in clinical decision making may have left careproviders feeling ethically and morally insecure in shifting from a patient-centered to a community-centered paradigm. We present analysis of four pediatric emergency case scenarios that are representative of those likely to present to a private practice, academic setting, or emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis aims to empower dentists who care for children to implement the American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct within the context of a global health crisis.

Doctors Strike During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

Doctors Strike During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia

The construction of occupational professionalism among business rescue practitioners supplying professional bodies

Purpose of the research: To identify and explore the construction of professionalism in a multiple professional bodies (MPB) landscape in South Africa (SA) and demonstrate how such construction can be used to enhance professional accreditation regime. Design of research and methodology: The study used a qualitative research design. This required five consecutive steps of (a) interviewing member services managers at four professional bodies (PBs); (b) systematic content analysis of codes of professional conduct (CPCs) and policy statements to identify constituent professionalism notions; (c) a systematic search of the literature to identify notions of professionalism mentioned in definitions and explanations of the construct; and (d) analysis of notions of professionalism using the constant comparison procedure to reveal key themes. The results in (a) through to (d) were used to advance a programmatic framework to construct professionalism in an MPB landscape. Research results: The construction of professionalism is linked to services rendered and competencies in the MPB landscape. The existing licensing regime encapsulates the increased importance of the MPB landscape, leading to a shift away from a conventional conceptualisation of professionalism in a single professional body (PB) setting. A total of 90 separate notions of professionalism were identified in the 192 scholarly papers included in our study. The identified theme within BRP professionalism (emphasising relational aspects) point to practitioner dealings with (i) clients (business rescue candidates); (ii) government and others; (iii) the PB; and (iv) oneself to gain the essence of occupation. There is fragmentation between the constructed conceptualisations of professionalism among PBs, leading to an incoherent and inconsistent expert accreditation regime. Practical implications and value: The findings of the study are useful in the integration of practitioner learning and development practices in the PBs whose members serve as BRPs. BRP is a regulated occupation and requires a distinct professional accreditation framework (PAF) to integrate multidimensional professionalism in the MPB landscape. Approaches to enhance accreditation should consider delineating BRP services and task from interview results from a community of practitioners. The PAF will structure the construction, investigation, and documentation of occupational professionalism required by the licensing authorities. It will also help delineate BRP as a discipline worth of academic and professional pursuits with known competencies.

The ethics of dentists receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: Following the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct

The ethics of dentists receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: Following the American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct