Julie Downs

Professor Bowman

Ser 200 02 Exercise Leadership

2 November 2017

Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics.

Prior to this assignment I was extremely excited and intrigued to learn more about the

type of standards my future profession entails. I have been introduced to the expectations of

medical professions but not to a great extent. When reading and analyzing the Occupational

Therapy Code of Ethics I was taken back by how extensive the document is. With this, I took

the several parts one by one and got a true understanding of what to anticipate as an

occupational therapist.

When beginning the reading, it started with a preamble. This summarized the overall

idea of the code and presents the two purposes of it. Number one states, “It provides

aspirational Core Values that guide members toward ethical courses of action in professional

and volunteer roles.” The second purpose of the Code states, “It delineates enforceable

Principles and Standards of Conduct that apply to AOTA members.” Following this, the code

presents its core values. These include; Altruism, Equality, Freedom, Justice, Dignity, and

Prudence. All of these should be involved in making decisions of the most appropriate course

of action and with dealing with patients as well as all other interactions. After this comes the

principles and standards of conduct. These include; Beneficence, Nonmaleficence,

Autonomy, Justice, Veracity, and Fidelity. Just as the core values are used, the principles and

standards of conduct are used for those of the occupational therapy profession and related

fields to make suitable judgements. All of these are then explained in detail. These
descriptions include a definition of the principle then followed by related standards of

conduct. The last aspect of the code of ethics is a list of references and ethics commission.

In general, the Code of Ethics did not surprise me too much as it is normal for

medical fields to have an extensive list of rules and standards. However, I was slightly

shocked about the amount of detail that went into all the principles and overall code.

All of these principles and core values all are extremely important to have a

successful occupational therapy career. One specific concept that I found significant would

be the principle of beneficence. Some related words to this are mercy, kindness, and charity.

In addition, it revolves around the ideas of helping others, promoting good, and preventing

and removing harm. This is extremely important to me because I have always wanted to

spend my life helping people. So as an occupational therapist I can do just that. Another

major idea is the principle of justice. This can be explained as the idea of fair, equitable, and

appropriate treatment of everyone. In addition, this explains that occupational therapists

should be impartial with all interactions with both groups and individuals.

Overall, I found this extremely important to read and analyze. As a future

occupational therapist, I want to be the best I can be. So by being aware of my career’s

standards I can offer the best care to my patients.