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WORK ETHICALLY. WHAT ARE ETHICS?. Ethics ARE Moral Laws. They are written and unwritten rules. They define what is RIGHT and what is WRONG. Duty of Care. Health workers have a ‘duty of care’ to: Always act in the best interests of the clients & their care needs.
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WHAT ARE ETHICS? Ethics ARE Moral Laws. They are written and unwritten rules. They define what is RIGHT and what is WRONG.
Duty of Care Health workers have a ‘duty of care’ to: • Always act in the best interests of the clients & their care needs. • Let no act or omission on your part be detrimental to their care. • Act within your ability. • Decline to do something if you are unsure or unable to safely complete the task.
Who does it apply to? • Every health worker has a duty of care towards clients, themselves and their colleagues. • Duty of care can be applied to every aspect of your work, from duties that you undertake to equipment that you may need to use to carry out your work safely.
Workers will keep knowledge & skills up to date. Workers will provide service at the standard of a reasonable person. Workers will know what must be done to ensure that the service can be provided safely. Workers will keep accurate records of patients. Only delegate work or accept it when it is safe to do so. Protect confidential information What does the Duty of Care imply?
Duty of Care? Employment policies exist within organisations to cover relevant legislation. Ensure you understand them. If you have concerns about: • A client’s care needs not being met, • A colleague’s competence, • Equipment faults You should raise your concerns with your supervisor.
Duty of Care? If you are unsure of how to express concern: • speak to your colleagues/ supervisor/ OHS representative - they may be able to do it for you. • Document your concerns & keep a copy for your own records.
Duty of Care • If your manager asks you to do something and you don’t feel competent to do so - speak out. • It is acceptable to say that you are unable to carry out an instruction because you have not been trained or you don’t feel you can do it safely. • Client safety & needs must come 1st
Confidentiality • Healthcare agencies and providers must provide confidentiality and privacy of the healthcare information that they collect, maintain, use, and/or transmit regarding clients in their care • Confidentiality means that only certain individuals will have the right to access the information and that it is secure from others. Confidentiality is at risk when: • The potential for improper access to information exists. It is our responsibility to protect patient information.
Confidentiality * It is only acceptable to discuss a patient’s condition in the Handover room.