OTH 560 Week 5 Ticket To Class
OTH 560 Week 5 Ticket To Class
OTH 560 Week 5 Ticket To Class
Ticket to Class/Fieldwork
Ethical Decision-Making and Adult Rotation Preparation
Special note – Due to the robust nature of this learning activity, you can choose to complete this
assignment individually or with a partner. You can also decide if you want to share responsibility
for Part One and/or Part Two. For example, you may opt to share Part One with a partner and
then complete Part Two separately if you are in a different practice setting. Everyone must
submit their own document into Moodle for individual grading. Please indicate in the form if you
shared responsibility with a peer.
1. Using pp. 120-122 in the FW Survival Guide, select one of the situations and respond to
the questions provided. Indicate which scenario you selected here:
Situation 4
I would seek out resources, such as organizations that specialize in addressing domestic
violence. Depending on where I work, I might have an obligation to report domestic
violence. Especially when a client is in immediate danger, it may be necessary to breach
confidentiality to ensure that the client is safe.
2. Review the ethical scenario document provided for Week 5. Use the 6-step ethical
process to problem solve through the ethical issue.
i. Get the Story Straight - Gather Relevant Info: What factors should you consider in
this scenario? What questions would you want to consider to understand more about
the situation? Basically, what do you need to ask and explore to better understand the
situation? List them below –
Factors to consider would be understanding the child's current health statues, the
severity of his condition, and how it's being managed. Review the professional ethical
guidelines for OT in this situation. Understand the family's perspective, their
awareness about the legal and health implications. Questions we could ask - How are
you coping with your condition? How severe are your sleep issues? How often are
you using marijuana? Why did the mother choose marijuana and is she open to other
interventions.
ii. Identify the Type of Ethical Problem – Is it moral distress? Ethical dilemma? What’s
the difference between moral or ethical distress and a dilemma?
This scenario is both an ethical dilemma and potential moral distress for the OT. The
therapist is faced with a situation involving two conflicting ethical principles. The OT
should act in the best interest of the child, who reports that the marijuana has helped
him sleep. On the other hand, the therapist is there to prevent harm and follow the
law. For moral distress, the therapist believes that the best course of action would be
to report this situation but feels torn. The ethical dilemma involves not knowing
which action is correct, and moral distress involves knowing the right action but
wondering if they should carry it out.
iii. Use Ethics Theories or Approaches to Analyze it – Reflect back on #2.1 and expand.
What factors or context should be assessed to analyze this scenario (e.g., legal
implications, facility policy, and medical literature). Go beyond the examples listed in
the parentheses.
The principle of beneficence guides the therapist to act in the child's best interest,
even when the child claims that marijuana aids in sleep. However, the therapist is
legally required to report and cannot ignore this. Virtue ethics, in this context, focuses
on the therapist's character, not just the action. Here, the occupational therapist can
advocate for the child's well-being while upholding professional standards and laws.
The therapist should refer to professional guidelines, which can provide insights into
navigating this challenging situation, and seek legal advice, which can help in
understanding potential consequences and appropriate actions.
iv. Explore Practical Alternatives – What are the different courses of action Maureen
could take in this scenario?
The OT can look for alternative solutions like other legal and safe interventions that
could help the child sleep. The therapist can explore other options with the child's
healthcare team. The therapist can go to his parents and understand the cultural
beliefs and practices of the child and his family, which can provide insight into their
decision to use marijuana.
v. Complete the Action—What consensus do you think the ECHC team should reach?
What action should they take in this scenario?
The ECHC team should have an open discussion about the situation, ensuring that all
perspectives (medical, psychological, social, legal, and ethical) are considered. This
will help them understand the challenging situation and this can help them make an
informed decision. In addition to also meeting with a ethics committee or legal
counsel, which can help with ethical implications and the potential consequences and
actions that can be taken. Lastly, have a discussion with the family about the legal and
health implications of giving marijuana to a child.
vi. Evaluate the Process and Outcome—Once you’ve made the decision for the ECHC
team, consider the completed action and discuss the potential outcome for the client,
the family, and the team.
The child's well-being was the highest priority for the decision-making process. By
exploring other legal and safe interventions for sleep, the child could experience
improved sleep without legal and health risks. The family might experience initial
distress, especially if they felt the marijuana was helping their child. However, an
open conversation with the ECHC team could lead to better understanding and
collaboration when seeking alternative solutions. The family might also appreciate the
team's commitment to their child's well-being.
1. Describe one new thing you learned in this video. It can be something that surprised you,
aha moments, or a new concept.
During the therapy session in ClinEd, I was surprised to see how quickly and effectively
the therapist could evaluate the client. The therapist was able to perform numerous
assessments in just 15-20 minutes to understand the client's challenges and areas of pain
or discomfort.
2. Describe how can you apply this information to your fieldwork experience. What are you
going to do with the information?
The YouTube videos were really useful in understanding various work rehab evals.
Knowing these terms and evaluations, such as FCE, was beneficial. FCE can be used as a
fitness for duty test, which helps employers determine if an employee is capable of
performing tasks if it's safe for them to return to work. It can also be used to help
generate impairment and disability ratings. I can use this information and see how it's
used in industrial rehab.
3. Describe how the information from your videos can be applied to inter or intra-
professional collaboration. Don’t forget to include the most important people in the
collaborative efforts (the client and support networks).
4. Describe any health literacy approaches noted in your videos. Hint – health literacy has
been covered in Professional Dev. Seminar I, Intro to Occupation/OT, and a big emphasis
this Summer in your health promotion courses.