Grace Campbell

PBH602: Ethics Paper

Now, more than ever, is ethics something that is discussed every day without even

knowing it. Ethics is the study of morality; it defines acceptable and unacceptable behavior. The

term ethics dates back two thousand years, it has Latin and Greek roots in the word ethos, which

means character (Cottrell et al., 2018). There are different types of ethics: personal, professional

and research ethics. Personal ethics will help guide a person's everyday life, but will personal

ethics always guide professional behavior in the right direction? Everyone comes from different

backgrounds and experiences. Everyone has their own personal beliefs of what is right and

wrong and not everyone has the same moral values. This is where professional ethics comes into

play. Professional ethics focuses on right and wrong in the workplace or a public setting. As a

health educator, ethical behavior is expected. We interact with children and other professionals

all day, we need to be positive role models for all of those around us.

An ethical theory provides a framework for specialists so that they are able to evaluate

whether or not human actions are acceptable (Cottrell et al., 2018). There are two different

categories of ethical theories: Deontology and Teleology. Deontology is the belief that the end

doesn't justify the means. Someone who practices this theory believes that lying is wrong, no

matter what the reasoning is. Teleological theories state that the end does justify the means.

People who practice this theory believe that it is okay to lie if the act produces happiness or

good. For example, telling a student that something will end sooner than it really does. This may

make them happier, but they will not know if you actually ended earlier. Of course, the theory

that you may use will depend on the situation.

To act ethically may be easy for some people, and more difficult for others. It will depend

on how a person was raised, and their own personal beliefs, that is why professional ethics is

important to have in place. As a health educator, it is important to act ethically and morally every
Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
day. Observations and studies have shown that “those who are ethical tend to lead healthier,

more emotionally satisfying lives” (Cottrell et al., 2018, p.137). Professionals who choose to do

the right thing, will be happier and healthier. If you think about it, work is much easier and

simpler if you follow the expectations and behave ethically and responsibly. Ethics can also be

thought of from a community perspective, we are a whole society with norms and values. These

norms and values should be followed and discussed often. Ethics help us make the right

decisions.

As I stated before, the theory that a person will choose to use will depend on the situation

that they are in. Because ethics is such a broad topic, there are five basic principles that can be

applied to making any ethical decision. The first is the value of life principle. This is simple, yet

very complicated. Without life, there can be no ethics. This principle is why topics such as

abortion and capital punishment are so controversial in the world of ethical decisions. The

second principle is the principle of goodness, or what is right. People may disagree on what is

good, but everyone strives for goodness. This principle can be further broken down into two

other principles: nonmaleficence, and beneficence. Nonmaleficence means “no harm”,

beneficence implies doing good and helping others (Cottrell et al., 2018).

The third principle for making ethical decisions is the principle of justice or fairness.

Justice can be examined procedurally or distributivally. Procedural justice is whether or not fair

and proper procedures were in place and being followed, whereas distributive justice deals with

the allocation of resources (Cottrell et al., 2018). An example of justice is whether or not a

person should receive financial aid. The fourth principle is honesty or telling the truth. Morality

and ethics depend on what people say and do, communication is very important, as is telling the

truth. This may be very hard for some people every day, and depending on the circumstances,
Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
hard for anyone at any given time. For example, a child tells you something that you do not want

to tell anyone else because you promised them, or maybe because it will put them in danger, but

you have a legal obligation to tell their parents. The fifth, and final principle for making ethical

decisions is individual freedom. People must have the freedom to do as they please while being

moral. Individual freedom is becoming more important as time goes on and people change.

The Unified Code of Ethics for the Health Education Profession is still a work in

progress. For many years this code was presented to many different organizations and people and

updated multiple different times. In November of 1999, at a meeting in Chicago, the Code of

Ethics was approved for the profession of health education (Cottrell et al., 2018). As a persons

ideals change and are studied more, this document will change. As a health education specialist,

it is important to understand the professional code of ethics, as it needs to be applied to my

thinking and teachings every single day. As a health education specialist, I will act ethically and

apply the Code of Ethics to the Health Education Specialist Competencies.

In order to practice health education and promotion a person must practice the skills

known as responsibilities, competencies, and sub-competencies. Responsibilities are quite

general; they provide an idea of what health education specialists do. Under each responsibility,

there are four to seven competencies, or skills necessary to be successful as a health education

specialist. Sub-competencies further break down competencies into different skills and abilities.

These skills can be found in the Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis document, which

was published in 2015.

In 1999, the Code of Ethics was approved for the profession of health education.

Although it was approved, the code of ethics “is not seen as a completed project. Rather, it is

envisioned as a living document that will continue to evolve as the practice of Health Education
Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
changes to meet the challenges of the new millennium” (Cottrell et al., 2018, p. 337). No two

years, or lessons, are the same. We must always evaluate and adjust things as it is needed,

especially the code of ethics. I will apply the code of ethics to my teaching practice by following

the responsibilities, competencies, and sub-competencies named in the NCHEC document.

The first area of responsibility is the assessment of needs and capacity. I apply this

responsibility in my teaching by planning assessments, obtaining data and then analyzing that

data. These are all competencies that fall under the responsibility of assessment of needs and

capacity. We can further break these down into sub-competencies. When I am planning my

assessments, there are a few things that I must do. I must find the purpose for the assessment,

identify which population I will use, identify available resources, and examine all factors that

may influence the assessment process. While obtaining data, I need to break it down into primary

data, secondary data, and other sources that are evidence based. I will then take many other steps,

which will help me with my end goal, which is to develop a data analysis plan. I need this

analysis plan to be able to assess myself and my students. After all of my data is collected, I

analyze it, and then report my findings.

The second area of responsibility is Planning. This is extremely important, especially for

me being a new health educator with no curriculum to use. There are many steps in the planning

process. First, I must establish a rationale for the intervention, why am I doing this? Second, I

define my desired outcomes using the Health Education Standards. Then, I determine

interventions and test them. Lastly, if the rest works out, I will develop my plans and materials

for implementation of the lesson. With that being said, the third responsibility is Implementation.

This responsibility is quite simple, I deliver my lessons and promotion interventions, then I
Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
monitor this implementation. If something is not working, I need to make a change, but I will

only know this if I am sure to monitor my students progress through assessments.

The fourth responsibility is evaluation and research. It is my job to interpret data, and

then use that data to better my teachings. The responsibility of Advocacy is where I believe that I

am lacking. The competencies of advocacy include identifying health issues, engaging coalitions

and stakeholders in addressing health issues and planning advocacy efforts, engaging myself in

advocacy, and evaluating advocacy. I know that it is my job to advocate for health education, I

just feel as though it is something that is so new to me, it is difficult. I need to be more involved

in this and create groups to advocate for change and health promotion. The sixth responsibility of

health educators is communication. I act ethically and follow this responsibility by assessing how

I communicate with parents, students, and other staff. I ensure that I am always kind, and I use

the proper language depending on who I am communicating with. I also select the correct

methods to deliver messages because I know that everyone responds differently to different

means of communication.

Leadership and management is an area that I excel in. I do this by having communication

skills, preparing others to provide health education (if needed), managing resources, and working

with other stakeholders to plan events. I always stay positive and act as a role model for my

students and my colleagues. This helps me create positive relationships which will help me in the

future. The final responsibility of a health educator is ethics and professionalism. I apply the

code of ethics to my profession every day by practicing in accordance with ethical principles. I

stated the many ways above that I follow the responsibilities of health educators. I apply ethics to

my planning in every possible way, through assessments, consulting, and more. I also participate

in professional development whenever it is available and am always trying to build relationships

Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
with other professionals. I also promote the health education profession to everyone that I

possibly can, such as stakeholders and the community. I do this by holding a wellness

committee, which is open to the public, and by developing presentations to present to my

administration explaining the importance of health education and why K-2 should also have it.

As a health education specialist, it is extremely important to act ethically. Although this

may look different for different people, the Unified Code of Ethics for Health Education and the

Health Education Specialist competencies are a great starting point for those wondering how to

act ethically. These documents explain the background of how a code of ethics was created for

health educators and explains the responsibilities of a health educator. A person may also use the

ten-step ethical decision making process to help guide them toward making the right decisions.

No ethical code is going to be perfect, but “perfection is not required as an ethical code need

only be developed enough to maintain group harmony” (Marley & House, 2019). Any

professional must act ethically to ensure their careers, this will also help them live a happier and

healthier life.
Grace Campbell
PBH602: Ethics Paper
References

Capwell, Ellen M., et al. "Development of a Unified Code of Ethics for the Health Education

Profession: A Report of the National Task Force on Ethics in Health Education."

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Cottrell, R. R., Girvan, J. T., Siebert, D., Spear, D. & McKenzie, J. F. (7th edition). (2018)

Principles & foundations of health promotion and education. New York, NY;

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. Accessed 26 Oct. 2022

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<link.gale.com/apps/doc/A630169115/AONE?u=brockport&sid=bookmark-

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