Professional Codes Of Practice Research Articles

Television News in Times of Elections: A Case Study of Sri Lanka

Electronic Media executes a crucial and major role in the elections. Through various studies, it has been ascertained that the degree to which the electronic media follows the guidance for accuracy, impartiality, and balance and the code of professional practice in covering the process of election, will directly affect the results of the outcomes of elections. The study has explored the degree to which the television stations of Sri Lanka abided by professional ethics in covering the elections and the behavior they exhibited during the period of elections. For this purpose, an analysis was done on the contents of news and current affairs programs of television stations during the local government election held in 2018. The study suggested that television stations disregard the code of professional ethics in covering the election by being partial to certain political parties and they include the news with the intention of promoting such political parties. It could also be ascertained that instead of reporting the factual truth, the television stations build up conclusive narratives according to a political agenda in covering the news and current affairs on the election. The study suggests there is a need for the application of the theory of news professionalism and the fairness doctrine during elections. Further, it highlights the need for laws and regulations and an independent electronic media authority that oversees the application of the fairness doctrine and media professionalism during elections and by extension, the strengthening of democracy in Sri Lanka.

Postpartum haemorrhage and synthetic oxytocin dilutions in labour

This study investigated postpartum haemorrhage and historic oxytocin usage, because haemorrhage rates are rising. During the evolution of practice from intravenous bovine post-pituitary extract to synthetic oxytocin, experimental interventions had produced improved outcomes in certain cases and the postpartum haemorrhage rate was low. In this study, current synthetic oxytocin regimes from across the UK were compared with the 1977 (unchanged) licensed instructions for infusion. As a result of the pain-inducing properties of synthetic oxytocin, epidural analgesia prior to infusion is now standard for unlicensed regimes, adding complexity to intrapartum care and greater risks of complex births, as the fetus may be adversely affected by epidural drugs and acidosis. Unlicensed synthetic oxytocin dilutions and increments, the desensitising of oxytocin receptors, and unmeasured error factors in infusion pumps affect labour progress and outcomes. Today's rates of postpartum haemorrhage are associated with these changes to obstetric practice. Failure to inform women of intended unlicensed practices with synthetic oxytocin, or obtain consent for such, or offer licensed practice as standard constitutes neglect of the legal obligations outlined for doctors and midwives by professional Codes of Practice, intended to protect patients from predictable dangers.

Receptivity and Readiness for Cultural Competence Training Amongst the Social Workers in Hong Kong

Abstract This research examined understandings of cultural competence of social workers in Hong Kong, their needs and challenges in serving culturally diverse groups, and their willingness and receptivity to receive cultural competence training by using constructivist grounded theory. Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with thirteen frontline and managerial practitioners and educators in training institutions in the social work profession. Data were analysed by identifying major themes. The findings show that social workers in Hong Kong tend to encounter language barriers and various forms of cultural shocks in serving ethnoculturally diverse clients. The professional code of practice is not sufficient in promoting culturally competent practice and there are institutional barriers to the enhancement of cultural competence of the social services. Mainstream social work units are generally not well prepared to provide services to non-Chinese communities. In response to these obstacles, professional training should provide future Hong Kong social workers with opportunities to interact with ethnoculturally diverse communities through service-learning. To tackle institutional racism, leaders should have cultural awareness and promote culturally inclusive practices. Inclusion of staff members from diverse cultural backgrounds would increase the capacity of the organisations to better serve clients of diverse needs. Anti-racism training should be made as an essential professional development component for social work students, practicum students, practitioners and managers.

Professional Codes of Practice and the Law of Obligations

This paper discusses how professional codes of practice and the law of obligations interact to influence professional practice. The private law of obligations applies to professional services that involve engagement in markets for the supply of goods and services. Self-regulating profession bodies determine, monitor and enforce codes of conduct for their members. This paper begins with an overview of codes of conduct as forms of regulation, explores the regulatory effect of the law of obligations then analyses the interaction between the two regulatory forms.

The Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism (2018 Edition) Introduction.

It is 10 years since the Declaration of Istanbul (DOI) on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism was developed. Although not a legally binding text, the DOI has been profoundly influential upon national legal frameworks and professional codes of practice. The DOI represented the position of the international transplant community against practices that violate the fundamental rights of the vulnerable and tarnish the reputation of transplantation medicine. An updated edition of the DOI was recently presented at the congress of The Transplantation Society in Madrid, Spain. The update was important after a decade of work, leading to a better understanding and conceptualization of these criminal practices. For example, in recent years, many groups have worked on updated definitions of organ trafficking and commercialization, with the most significant work produced by the Council of Europe, particularly its Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Organs. (https://rm.coe.int/16806dca3a). Because the DOI is now 10 years old, many of the definitions and issues need to be updated in the original document. Where the original document had 3 definitions of the terms, organ trafficking, transplant commercialism, and travel for transplantation/transplant tourism, the set of definitions in the 2018 edition has been expanded. Definitions now distinguish more clearly between organ trafficking and trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal. Furthermore, resident versus nonresident person is defined in the context of the declaration. The document also explains what is meant by self-sufficiency in transplantation and financial neutrality in organ donation. The definition of transplant commercialism has been removed because this concept is now more clearly defined in the context of the definition of organ trafficking. The set of 6 complex original principles has been revised and expanded to 11 more concise principles. Lastly, the section of the original text detailing proposals for potential implementation has been replaced by a separate commentary article in which the practical implications of the DOI are discussed and recommendations outlined in greater depth. The commentary article will be presented as a separate document to support the interpretation of principles and provide examples for their implementation in practice. This decision was made to make the actual document shorter and easier to read with a more detailed explanation in the commentary article. One important difference between the 2008 edition and the 2018 edition is the process in which this document was formed. The first iteration of the 2008 edition was developed by an international multidisciplinary steering committee, followed by a workshop attended by 158 global representatives, including government officials, social scientists, and ethicists. This meeting took place in Istanbul, Turkey, between April 30, 2008, and May 2, 2008. The 2018 edition similarly began with an updated document drafted by an international working group of 42 individuals convened by the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group's Executive. This document and an accompanying draft of the commentary article were then made available for public consultation via an online platform for a period of 2 months. All societies and organizations which had endorsed the DOI, as well as Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group members, were directly invited to participate in the consultation. Complete responses were received from 245 individuals, representing more than 64 countries, including 65 responses on behalf of professional societies or organizations. Comments expressed a positive overall support for the updated text. All feedback received was reviewed before a final version of the document was produced by the working group. At a 1-day preconference workshop in Madrid, the document was presented to the stakeholders—a well-attended workshop with more than 120 delegates. The new edition of the DOI is more concise and provides greater conceptual clarity, which will enhance its value for those seeking to use it as a reference point for the development of ethical guidelines or policy at the local level. The 2018 document also aligns well with international norms and developments over the last 10 years. It remains an essential set of ethical standards articulating the responsibilities of health professionals and policy makers who must continue to combat unacceptable practices in donation and transplantation and strive to fufill the great promise of organ transplantation for people across the world.

‘TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE’. SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH ACROSS PROFESSIONS.

This paper critically analyses the notion of different professions working together, seeking to raise awareness, and to support those suffering with mental ill health, exploring the specific nuanced differences between each type of professional working. The importance of effective liaison is underlined, as recognition is made that practitioners do not always co-operate effectively, compromising the assessment and provision for service users. The conceptual links between ethical and professional codes of practice with regard to social work and related professions are made. Furthermore, this work explores how the critical synthesis of the use of ?self? within both reflective and reflexive practice can be employed to enhance interactions, deliberations and therefore outcomes for practitioners and their service users.

Abortion as a Contested Right in Occupied Palestine

Abortion as a Contested Right in Occupied Palestine

Low cost bridge load test: Calculating bridge displacement from acceleration for load assessment calculations

Bridge failure to pass load capacity assessment is unfortunately not an uncommon problem in bridge engineering and it is a potentially expensive problem for the bridge owner. Using load test data to justify increase in assessed load capacity is recognised as a viable approach in professional codes of practice. However, load tests are rarely carried out in practice because traditionally they are expensive to conduct and may not always justify an increase in assessed load capacity. Therefore this paper proposes a simple, quick and reliable approach for bridge load testing. In particular a procedure to calculate the bridge displacement to a moving truck by double integration of bridge acceleration is presented. Integrating acceleration to calculate displacement is not a new approach, with authors reporting difficulties due to errors in acceleration signals and unknown initial conditions. Many of the previous approaches have focused on developing signal processing algorithms to correct for the signal errors and while some good results have been reported, typically the derived displacements are very sensitive to parameters used in the correction algorithm, such as passband filter frequencies. Consequently, without comparison with directly measured displacement data, reliability of the procedure cannot be established and errors quantified. Therefore in this study a stripped down procedure is applied placing emphasis instead on minimising the errors in the recorded acceleration by using appropriate hardware and developing a quality control procedure that allows the user to assess the likely accuracy of the calculated displacement signal. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is trialled in the laboratory and in the field, with an accuracy of ±0.5mm observed.

Ethical decision-making regarding infant viability: A discussion.

There are no universally agreed rules of healthcare ethics. Ethical decisions and standards tend to be linked to professional codes of practice when dealing with complex issues. This paper aims to explore the ethical complexities on who should decide to give infants born on the borderline of viability lifesaving treatment, parents or the healthcare professionals. The paper is a discussion using the principles of ethics, professional codes of practice from the UK, Nursing Midwifery Council and UK legal case law and statute. Healthcare professionals' experiences that influence parental decision are also considered. There are considerable barriers to an effective discussion taking place in an environment where clinical decisions have to be made quickly once the baby is born. This is compounded by the need and respect for parental autonomy and the difficulties they face when making a best interest's decision knowing that this could cause more harm than good for their infant child and balancing any decision they make with quality of life. On deciding whether to give lifesaving treatment born at the borderline of viability, it should be a joint decision between the parents and the neonatal team.

Can the revised UK code direct practice?

The Nursing and Midwifery Council, the United Kingdom regulator of nursing and midwifery has recently revised its professional code of practice. This article begins by arguing that a professional code must be capable of sustaining close reading and of action guidance. Using four exemplar clauses, it is argued that the new revised code does not meet this purpose. First, I show that in setting out requirements for consent and documentation, the meaning of the relevant clause has changed significantly during the editing process so that a literal reading of the final document bears little relation to established professional practice. Second, I argue that the clause concerning the nature of professional relationships has also been altered during the editing process so that it is inconsistent with other professional groups and established accounts of the professional nurse-patient relationship. Third, I argue that the clause concerning disclosure of confidential information, which survived revision and editing with its meaning intact, is nevertheless factually incorrect and inconsistent with UK law and authoritative guidance. Finally, fourth, I argue that use of the word 'inappropriate' is inappropriate as it amounts to meaningless circularity, discussed in relation to a clause on expressing personal beliefs. Taken together, these examples demonstrate that the Code is seriously flawed and does not fulfil its purpose. One way that simple prescriptive clauses in the Code can be usefully understood is through the provision of detailed guidance. I argue that the Nursing and Midwifery Council has changed its position on its view of the value of guidance and has significantly reduced the amount of written guidance and advice it provides. The article concludes by arguing that in order to meet its action directing function, further clarifying revision and the provision of detailed guidance is required.

Involving migrants in the development of guidelines for communication in cross-cultural general practice consultations: a participatory learning and action research project

ObjectiveThe aim of this research was to involve migrants and other key stakeholders in a participatory dialogue to develop a guideline for enhancing communication in cross-cultural general practice consultations. In...

The Impact of International Migration – View From WHO

The mental health workforce is a precious resource for countries. A high level of inverstment has been committed to train doctors, psychologists and nurses. Most European countries also suffer from a relative shortage of trained staff. The migration of such professionals is therefore a major loss of skills, and also exacerbates existing shortages in many countries. Within the EU, staff migration is a fundamental right that cannot be challenged. Staff migration has a number of undesirable consequences, both to countries of origin and receiving countries that lead to actions. Migration leads to wage increases in order to tempt people to stay. This is in the interest of the individuals targeted, but affects other health service priorities since overal health service budgets are rarely adjusted. The WHO European Mental Health Action Plan (EMHAP) draws attention to the challenges of migration. The diversity of clinical practice in Europe is still reflected in the diversity of curricula. Considering the extent of professional migration across the Region, reliable competencies need to be assured. Interventions for mental health problems need to be guided by professional codes of practice, as well as adherence to legal standards across the Region. This will require partnership between profesional bodies, governments and intergovernmental organizations. The endorsement of the EMHAP is a mandate for Action in this field, aiming to find a balance between rights of the individuals to work where they choose and offering protection for the wellbeing of the population.

The Effect of Audit Tenure and Non-Audit Services on Auditors Negligence : A Study of Nigeria

The research work examined the impact of audit tenure and non – audit services on auditors negligence. Failure to report certain weaknesses because of the auditors’ negligence in his reports to management often affect the performance of corporate organizations negatively. The specific objectives are: to determine whether audit tenure influences audit negligence, to determine whether non – audit services provided by auditors to its client lead to audit negligence, and to ascertain whether interaction of audit tenure and non – audit service lead to auditors negligence. Business analysts, Investors and Academia were used. Survey design was adopted for this study. Copies of questionnaires were administered to 115 sample respondents. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze data collected statistically at 5% or 0.05 level of significance , and in testing the hypotheses; Regression analysis was used, with the aid of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) 20.0 soft ware. The test showed that lengthy audit firm tenure lead to audit negligence. The researcher recommends that the auditing profession to make significant regulatory pronouncement in this regard. Accounting and auditing profession is advised to come up with a policy on auditors performing non – audit services to its client. Consequently, auditors should put their own professional code of practice above their clients’ organizational culture which prioritized high profits.

Mode of Business Agreement with the Quantity Surveyor in the Informal Sector Economy of Nigeria: Sustainability of Professional Standards

Studies on informal employment have evaluate its quality on the basis of lists of indicators such as earnings, working schedule, observable perks at work, commuting time, and other observable job-related benefits. This study observes the mode of business agreement between the quantity surveyor and the client in this sector as a good proxy for the quality of informal employment and even for the quality of quantity surveyors’ life. This study adopted survey method in achieving the mode of business agreement between the quantity surveyor and the clients in the informal sector. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaire administered on clients engaging the services of quantity Surveyors in the informal sector and registered quantity surveyors in Ogun state, Nigeria. Analysis of the data was done using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). However, it is discovered that formality in business agreement exists in this sector and so allows for a conclusion to be made that there is high survival rate for any quantity surveyor that ventures into this sector in terms of the code of professional practice.

Academic dishonesty, bullying, incivility, and violence: difficult challenges facing nurse educators.

Prior to the NLN Education Summit 2005, the authors took part in a conference call to discuss some of the difficulties and challenges faced by faculty in schools of nursing. Familiar with the growing body of published work on troublesome behaviors in American schools and the workplace, we determined to use a panel discussion format to explore the nature of these difficulties and capture the meanings these experiences have for the individuals involved. By sharing personal experiences and presenting a review of the literature, we hoped to give voice to troublesome and sometimes painful aspects of our roles as educators. * In our vision for the panel discussion and this article, our desire was to be part of the solution. Our goal is to explore these experiences in a way that encourages self-reflection, teaches acceptable behavior, and supports positive change in the educational environment. We hope to promote opportunities for all involved in nursing education - students, faculty, and administrators - to grow and flourish. * This article follows the sequence of the panel presentation, which began with a comprehensive review of the literature on academic dishonesty, followed by a discussion of low-and high-tech forms of cheating used by students. We addressed the need to process social information correctly and develop positive and acceptable social skills needed for professional development, and we discussed bullying, issues of incivility among faculty members, and the troublesome practice known as "mean girl games." Our names are presented alongside our contributions, but all of us answered questions and participated in the lively discussion that took place at the Summit. Academic Dishonesty Joanne Parley Serembus Long part of academic life, academic dishonesty has been defined as "intentional participation in deceptive practices regarding one's academic work or the work of another" (1). As many as 70 to 95 percent of students have been reported to have engaged in such practices (2-4). Some have suggested that academic dishonesty arises from a deterioration of morals as documented over the past decade by the Josephson Institute (5). As nurse educators, we are responsible for providing curricula that integrate moral and ethical issues and prepare students to practice according to an accepted code of professional practice. Therefore, it is imperative that we do our best to prevent students from participating in practices such as cheating, plagiarism, unethical clinical practice, alteration of records, forgery, false representation, and knowingly assisting another in dishonest acts (1,6). Hubert's (7-9) finding of a relationship between unethical classroom behaviors and unethical clinical behaviors is particularly disturbing as unethical clinical practice can affect safe nursing practice. The most frequent unethical clinical behaviors found were: discussing patients in public places or with nonmedical personnel; taking hospital equipment for use at home; and recording that medications, treatments, observations, or home visits were performed when they were not. A number of factors contribute to academic dishonesty. These include competition for higher grades, honors, awards, and a grade point average sufficient for graduate study; an emphasis on perfection in nurses and nursing practice; lower levels of moral development; risk-taking behaviors that count on not getting caught or punished; the will to succeed at all costs; lack of preparation or skills; poor academic standing, poor grades, and concerns about the financial impact of failing a course; personal time management factors and competing assignments; a classroom or clinical environment conducive to academic dishonesty; and the use of rationalizations to justify dishonest actions (1,3,10). While faculty and students agree that an ever-increasing number of students cheat, students tend to differentiate between cheating on exams and what they consider less serious events such as plagiarism or working together on assignments that were meant to be completed individually (11,12). …

Using an Ethical Model to Manage Patient-Soldier Confidentiality When Medical Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is Refused

This paper reviews the ethical tensions and the dual loyalty conflict between following military orders and professional codes of conduct. All competent patients have a right to refuse medical treatment. However, maintaining confidentiality is not an absolute right. In the military, a doctor may have a dual loyalty conflict between obeying military orders and following professional codes of practice. This can become exacerbated when a doctor in a military environment does not consider all the parties’ interests. This paper suggests that dual loyalty conflict in military healthcare practice in this environment is best managed via a discretionary ethic-role. This then allows independent clinical judgment while at the same time minimizing ethical dilemmas, harm, and conflict to a third party such as a military commander.

Operational conditions

Using a three-dimensional ethical role-specific model, this article considers the dual loyalty conflict between following military orders and professional codes of practice in an operational military environment when a patient soldier refuses life-saving medical treatment and where their legal capacity is questionable. The article suggests that although every competent patient has the right to refuse medical treatment even though they may die as a consequence. Ordinarily, it is unethical to exert any undue influence on a patient to accept medical treatment, in a military operational environment where attack from the enemy is likely, it may be reasonable and understandable to exert undue influence over a patient when they lack legal capacity.

Patient rights and healthcare-associated infection

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations in 1948, and since that time, human rights have become widely recognized and legally enforceable in many countries. Patient rights are now included in healthcare constitutions, such as that of the English National Health Service, and in professional codes of practice. Patient rights have a number of implications for the control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), including: (1) justification for infection control over and above economic benefit; (2) focus and emphasis on the individual patient experience; (3) identification of some of the actions taken to control infection as breaches of rights; (4) bridging professional, infection control and public health ethics; (5) a requirement to specify the conditions under which rights can be breached; and (6) grounds for those seeking compensation for HCAI. Assuring patient rights has the potential to improve the patient experience, and in so doing, improve public confidence in healthcare provision and providers.

Strong theoretical underpinnings offer potential for practice

Effective, patient, professional collaboration and engagement are central to the provision of quality care and patient satisfaction. Poor communication skills can affect a nurse’s ability to develop an effective therapeutic relationship with a patient. Collaborating with patients has been embedded in the core values of recent health policies, care standards and professional codes of practice. The Department of Health’s (DH) (2010) Essence of Care benchmark says patients, whether adults or children, and their carers should expect health professionals to communicate effectively.

Professional Boundaries: Crossing a Line or Entering the Shadows?

This article explores the professional boundaries guidance for social workers. It presents research findings from the formal literature, from agency codes of practice, from telephone interviews with regulatory and professional bodies and from an exercise using ‘snowballing techniques’ in which informants responded to brief scenarios illustrating boundary dilemmas. The findings suggest that formal research plays little part in the guidance that individuals use to help them determine professional boundaries. Similarly, only 10–15 per cent of informants made regular reference to regulatory and professional codes of practice, with an even smaller percentage quoting specific sections from these codes. A slightly larger group (15–20 per cent) made fairly regular reference to their agency's policy documents. However, a clear majority relied on their own sense of what is appropriate or inappropriate, and made their judgements with no reference to any formal guidance. Agency guidance tended to ignore the ambiguous areas of practice and seemed to act as an insurance policy, brought out and dusted off when something goes awry. The authors caution against ever-increasing bullet points of advice and prescription, and advance a notion of ethical engagement in which professionals exercise their ethical senses through regular discussion of professional boundary dilemmas.