code of ethics for the dietetic professional

Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics

ACADEMY/CDR

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“Right & Wrong”

“Moral & Immoral”

“Just & Unjust”

Ethics is the Struggle Between…

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1. The study of standards of conduct and moral judgment.

2. The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person.

3. The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession.

Ethics: (eth/iks)

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•Aspirational

•Educational

•Regulatory

Types of Codes

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1. Fundamental Principles2. Responsibilities to the Public3. Responsibilities to Clients4. Responsibilities to the Profession5. Responsibilities to Colleagues and Other

Professionals

Nineteen Principles

The Code Consists of Five Categories

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The code is intended to:• Protect the profession and the credential• Influence public and private policy• Improve professional practice• Educate dietetics practitioners about ethical decision

making• Meet the guidelines of the accrediting agency for the

Commission on Dietetic Registration

Functions of the Code of Ethics

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The Code is not intended to:• Identify and reprimand all unqualified dietitians

and dietetic technicians • Be a punitive force to take away credentials

Misconceptions about the Code of Ethics

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Professional Development

Portfolio

The Standardsof Professional

Practice

LifelongLearning andProfessional Enhancement

The Code of Ethics

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History of the Academy/CDR Code1934 – 1st Report presented to members.

1982 – 1st Code adopted. Enforced 1985.

1987 – 2nd Code adopted. Enforced 1987.

1998 – 3rd revised Code adopted by HOD in fall.

1999 – Revised Code published January.

2007 – New Task Force formed to review and revise the 1999 Code.

2009 – Revised Code approved by HOD, BOD and CDR.

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• Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, August 2009, pages 1461-1467.

• Academy Web site –www.eatrightpro.org/resources/career/code-of-ethics

Accessing the Code

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• Ethics Committee• Ethics Team at Headquarters• Ethics For Further Reading List• FNCE Sessions• Ethics Opinions• Ethics in Action columns• Case Studies• Case Studies and Discussion Question for Ethics Video

Series• Ethics Video Series

Tools & Resources

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Ethics Committee was established in 1982Composed of three members who each serve 3 year terms

• One appointed by the Academy President• One appointed by the Speaker, HOD• One appointed by chair of CDR• One new member is added each year

Academy Ethics Committee

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• Any member or non-member can make a complaint.• Complaints are not anonymous but are confidential.• If a complaint is made, it is forwarded to the member

for a response.• The Ethics Committee then reviews the complaint and

discusses the response in executive session.

Access to the Ethics Committee

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• The enforcement procedures are intended to permit a fair resolution of disputes on ethical practices in a manner that protects the rights of individuals while promoting understanding of ethical practice.

• The Ethics Committee has the authority and the flexibility to determine the best way to resolve a dispute, including educational means where appropriate.

Ethics Case Management Procedure

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• Case may be dismissed • Further information may be requested• Person may be contacted with specific actions for

educational intervention

What happens next…

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• Membership in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics may be censured, placed on probation, suspended, or revoked

• RDN or NDTR credential or specialist credential may be suspended or revoked

• Ethics Committee uses a defined policy and procedure handbook to guide its decisions.

What happens next…

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Recent Complaints# Inquiries # Complaints Complaint Types

8 1 Personal dispute

15 5 Inappropriate advice (3); Practice without a license; Copyright violation

16 6 Inappropriate advice; Personal dispute; Poor business practice (4)

24 11 Poor business practice (5); Licensure violation (4); Lack of scientific support; Legal violation

18 5 Personal dispute; Lack of scientific support (2); Misuse of RDN, Poor business practice

Legal Issue:Many state and federal laws apply to our profession. If a state or federal law has been violated, the issue could result in action by the Ethics Committee.

Business Issue:An issue may be a business issue, but not an ethical issue, if it arises from a business dispute or breach of a contractual obligation, or a failure to provide products or services of an expected quality. Employment Issue:Employment issues can be addressed by an employer’s policy or policies or can be resolved in the workplace via the appropriate structure to provide oversight (i.e., Human Resources) or through federal and state laws that protect employees.

Ethical Issue or Not ?

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• Attends all meetings of Ethics Committee• Reviews files and correspondence• Provides counsel as to legal implications of decisions,

actions

Utilization of Academy’s Legal Counsel

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• Three ethics case studies will be presented.

• Work in small groups to discuss each case study.

• Choose a reporter to report the discussion.

Self Assessment - Ethics Case Studies -

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•Is the situation described an ethical issue?•Is the situation described a business dispute?•What category and principle(s) of the Code of Ethics does it relate to and how/why?•What are the key issues? •How might you handle as a colleague?

Questions to Discuss for Each Case Study:

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A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) has just taken a position as part of a treatment team in an ambulatory care setting. After several sessions, one of the clients he is counseling for obesity management discloses that she is being physically abused by her spouse and feels depressed. After this revelation, the RDN encourages the client to continue the nutrition counseling sessions so that he might better understand the relationship between her domestic situation/psychological state and weight issues. During a regular treatment team meeting, the RDN reports on the client and is questioned by one of the team members about why he did not refer the client to the mental health professional. What should the RDN and the team member do in this situation?

Case Study #1: Referral to Other Heathcare Professional

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• Is the situation described an ethical issue?• Is the situation described a business dispute?• What category and principle(s) of the Code of Ethics

does it relate to and how/why?• What are the key issues? • How might you handle as a colleague?

Small Group Discussion

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•What Was the Ethics Committee’s Reaction to the Case?•Key Discussion Points

Results of Discussions

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A Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) student, who is a student member of Academy, is in a computer lab at the university taking an online examination for one of his courses. The course syllabus specifically states that the exam is to be taken without the use of the textbook or class notes. One of the student’s classmates observes the student referring to the text and class notes while completing the online exam. What should be done in this situation?

Review Case Study #2: Observing Unethical Behavior

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• Is the situation described an ethical issue?• Is the situation described a business dispute?• What category and principle(s) of the Code of Ethics

does it relate to and how/why?• What are the key issues? • How might you handle as a colleague?


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A faculty member (PhD, RDN) asks a graduate doctoral student (Academy RDN member) to assist with a paper she is writing. She asks the graduate student to update the paper’s literature review, add additional data to the analysis and do a draft revision to the results section based on the additional data. The primary author prepares the discussion and methods section. The graduate student decides to discuss this with a junior faculty person and with her encouragement; she asks to be listed on the paper as an author. The primary author replies no and states that student contributions to a paper do not merit an author byline. The PhD, RDN agrees to an acknowledgement. The student feels compromised as he/she cannot refuse to do the work and must accept the professor’s decision. The junior faculty member agreed with the student and also felt she could not address her colleague on the issue. When the article is published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the student is highly disappointed and reflects on this compromising situation as a very unpleasant professional encounter early in her academic career.

Case Study #3: Authorship

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•Is the situation described an ethical issue?•Is the situation described a business dispute?•What category and principle(s) of the Code of Ethics does it relate to and how/why?•What are the key issues? •How might you handle as a colleague?


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Questions and Summation

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