Ethic Codes of a Profession in the State of Texas - Essay Example

Ethic s of a profession in the of Texas In the United s, the of Federal Regulations or CFR distinguishes between professional study and academic education and states that a professional job needs the stable use of discretion and judgment in its execution. Thus, professional work is basically related to intelligence and is diverse in nature. The CFR distinguishes such intellectual work from the normal mental, manual or physical work (McConnell, 2004). As such legal authorities consider a profession to be sustainable only if there exists a code of ethics, social responsibility and a license to practice that profession (McConnell, 2004). In the medical profession several problems prevail. In spite of this the medical profession is considered to be the best profession. After having completed the required academic qualification to become a doctor it is necessary to obtain a license. The profession enables the doctors to serve members of the public who suffer from different ailments. In the state of Texas, the Texas Medical Board examines the validity of the academic records to evaluate the knowledge of the applicant. The Board is the licensing authority in Texas for physicians and their assistants. It also scrutinizes the academic history of the doctors and deals with complaints. It can impose conditions and suspend the license of a doctor in the event of a breach (Ledbetter, 2005). The Texas Education Code empowers the State Board of Education to make rules that are governed by the Texas Administrative Code. Under the Texas Education Code, the Commissioner of Education is authorized to enforce rules in the areas of education. In the United States teachers need to fulfill certain requirements in order to obtain a certificate to teach students. These requirements vary from state to state. In general these requirements are completion of a certified education program, completion of a student teaching program, acceptable performance on a standardized test and submission of bio data to the concerned authorities (Teacher Certification). In Texas, teachers’ certificates can be repealed or suspended if a teacher’s conduct is in breach of the law, if the teacher is found incompetent or inappropriate to teach the youth of the state, if the teacher rescinds his contract or if the teacher was involved in criminal activities and had been convicted. Under those circumstances teachers may be dismissed or placed under suspension. The State Board for Educator Certification requires teachers in Texas to take the state mandated examination prior to obtaining eligibility for certification (Teacher Certification). Licensing for health practitioner is primarily intended to safeguard the public from incompetent or fake practitioners. It also protects the profession from unauthorized competition. Licensing enhances the dignity and honor of the profession. It controls entry into the profession and this helps in promoting public health interests with better quality services (Smith & Meyer, 1987). The doctor while interacting with patients has to display gentleness, care and concern. They have to have patience in listening to the symptoms of the patients. This approach outweighs the fee received for the services. Possessing knowledge without a kind heart and understanding does not help any professional to become prominent in that profession. On the other hand, compassion, caring and thorough knowledge of the subject makes the physician the best and most popular in the profession (Paul, 2001). To attain the status of an ideal doctor or to occupy the position of an icon in the profession requires broadmindedness for substitutive medicinal choices. Medicines alone cannot cure the disease of patients and it has to be borne in mind that prayer and psychological support such as faith have been known to have accomplished seemingly miraculous cures. Failure to recognize these facts will diminish the healing ability of a doctor (Paul, 2001). Medico – legal cases are delimiting the medical profession and this entails considerable financial burden and expenditure of time for physicians. Some of the legal decisions taken by the courts have damaged the reputation of doctors and affected their practice. The National Practitioners Data Bank was instituted in order to maintain data regarding the misconduct of doctors. This information has been misused by politicians, bureaucrats and lawyers with malafide intent. Misuse of the data has been on the increase and curbing such practices is a daunting task (Paul, 2001). The first and foremost duty of a psychologist is to maintain secrecy of the information that relates to patients. This legal obligation has been adopted by all major healthcare and counseling professional organisations and has been incorporated in their code of ethics. It is necessary for patients to reveal their confidential information to psychologists. In other words the obligation construes that the confidentiality protects the patients (Smith & Meyer, 1987). The decision to reveal confidential information is taken by the patient. Some exceptions to this obligation are that under compelling professional reasons such confidential information can be disclosed. The code of ethics imposes some responsibility on the counselors and therapists to notify their patients about the results of the disclosure of information (Smith & Meyer, 1987). Maintaining confidentiality is a legal obligation. Some states provide statutory protection for confidentiality. The Federal Law makes it compulsory to keep information regarding the treatment confidential. The maintenance of secrecy regarding the treatment is always a legitimate responsibility. Violation of this obligation attracts legal consequences for the physicians and the clinics (Smith & Meyer, 1987). The teachers should have commitment towards the students. Further they have to keep the personal information of their students confidential until and unless a disclosure is sought under the law. They have to abstain from indulging in discriminatory behavior towards their students. Further, teachers have to maintain a professional attitude towards their colleagues. They have to maintain the highest standard of professional conduct towards society (Code of Ethics, 2007). In all these instances the issue of a license is indispensable. For doctors, the Texas Medical Board is the licensing authority. For teachers the State Board of Education issues licenses. Doctors and psychologists have to ensure the confidentiality of the details of their patients. Such details cannot be disclosed until and unless the law requires it. The teachers also have to keep the personal details of their students secret. In comparison with other professions, doctors are accorded the highest level of respect and regard, because they have the capacity to cure and save people. Accordingly, doctors should maintain the highest of ethical values. Psychologists are privy to a large amount of sensitive information regarding their patients; hence they have to maintain quite high ethical standards. Teachers mould the future leaders and citizens of society; therefore, it is essential that they prove to be ideal role model for their students to emulate. Doctors and psychologists are liable to face legal action if they are negligent in treating patients. Teachers who have been convicted or who are indulging in anti social behavior can be dismissed from service. All these professions are highly respectable and indispensable to society. In all three professions, the infringement of laws results in a revocation of license to practice. Since, teachers mould the future generation and therefore by implication the future nation, they have to always maintain a very high ethical level of conduct. In this age of stress, the services of psychologists are indispensable. By the very nature of their approach to problem solving these psychologists become privy to very intimate and secret facts about their patients, these should not be disclosed unless it becomes essential to do so. Due to changing social mores, new developments like euthanasia are slowly making an entry into medicine. These changes impose an additional responsibility on the physician. Therefore, a very high level of moral and ethical values has to be adopted by doctors. Therefore, it can be concluded that in all these cases, the ethical and moral obligations to be observed are of a very high order. A doctor treats the body, the psychologist treats the mind and the teacher builds both the intellect and character. References Code of Ethics. (2007, March 3). Retrieved April 12, 2007, from Texas Music Teachers Association: http://www.tmta.org/images/code_of_ethics.htm Ledbetter, K. ( 2005, September 19). Doctor Shopping is an Important Step to Quality Health Care. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/CFAM/Sep1905a.htm McConnell, S. (2004). Profession Defined. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://stevemcconnell.com/psd/06-novumorganum.htm Paul, R. (2001, August 16). The State vs. Doctors. Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/paul3.html Smith, S. R., & Meyer, R. G. (1987). Law, Behavior, and Mental Health: policy and practice. New York: New York University Press. Teacher Certification. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2007, from http://www.pisd.edu/employment/certification/index.shtml Read More