Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025
14:43
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
11.9K
Navigating Ethical Tensions When Working to Address Social Inequities
Hannah McArdle1, Tim Barlott2, Cathy McBryde3
1Hannah McArdle, BOccThy, is Occupational Therapist, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Department of Health, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia; hannah.mcardle@uq.net.au.
Summary
Occupational therapists face ethical tensions when clients experience social inequities. They navigate these by taking action, seeking support, and maintaining integrity, especially when health systems fail to address inequities.
Area of Science:
- Social Determinants of Health
- Occupational Therapy Ethics
- Health Equity
Background:
- Occupational therapists frequently encounter social inequities impacting client health and well-being.
- These inequities create significant ethical tensions within clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To understand the ethical tensions occupational therapists experience when working with clients facing social inequity.
- To explore how these ethical tensions are navigated in practice.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing interpretive description methodology.
- Semistructured interviews conducted with 15 occupational therapists in community and tertiary settings.
- Thematic analysis used to analyze interview data.
Main Results:
- Two key themes emerged regarding ethical tensions: perpetuating inequities and experiencing conflicting values.
- Three themes described navigation strategies: taking action, seeking support, and ensuring integrity and accountability.
- Ethical tensions intensified when health systems were unresponsive to social inequities or created access barriers.
Conclusions:
- Occupational therapists feel responsible for addressing inequities, sometimes stretching professional boundaries.
- Support systems and confidence in practice scope aid in navigating ethical tensions with integrity.
- Enhanced support and reflexivity can foster dialogue on social inequities and ethical occupational therapy practice.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Ethical Dilemmas II
1.2K
Resolving an ethical dilemma in healthcare involves a systematic approach that considers every aspect of the issue, respecting both the patient's needs and values and the healthcare professional's ethical obligations. Here are potential steps to resolve an ethical dilemma:
1.2K
01:27Ethical Issues
1.1K
Nurses are essential in patient care, upholding the ethical principles of their profession and effectively navigating ethical dilemmas. Neglecting ethical issues can lead to inadequate patient care, compromised therapeutic relationships, and moral distress among healthcare workers.
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
1.1K
01:17Ethical Dilemmas I
989
Ethical dilemmas in nursing are of utmost importance, as they often arise from the tension between adhering to core ethical principles and the practical realities of healthcare delivery. These dilemmas require nurses to navigate complex situations where competing ethical considerations pull them in different directions.
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
Let us explore some examples to understand the potentially complex moral decisions nurses face.
Take the case of caring for minors, particularly in areas related to reproductive...
989
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
1.0K
Ethical principles are essential in guiding nurses to fulfill their responsibilities, focusing on the quality of nursing care and decision-making. These principles, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and fidelity, shape the ethical framework within healthcare settings.
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
1.0K
01:22Ethics and Bioethics
1.5K
Ethics is a philosophical study of moral actions. Ethics attempts to determine what is valuable for individuals and society. It examines the rational justification of moral judgments and analyzes what is morally just, fair, and right. Bioethics is a sub-discipline of applied ethics that analyzes the philosophical, social, and legal issues in life sciences and medicine. Ethical theories serve as a foundation for decision-making and represent the viewpoints from which people seek direction. They...
1.5K
01:25Ethical Standards I
896
The American Nurses Association (ANA) created and implemented the first nationally accepted Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. The Code of Ethics is a living document regularly updated by the ANA and establishes an ethical standard that is non-negotiable for nurses in all roles and settings.
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
The Code of Ethics provisions outline the nurse's duty to the patient, the healthcare team, the profession, and society. The Code's fundamental principles include advocacy,...
896