Assignment on Occupational Therapy

Running head: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Ethics and Professional Standards
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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There are certain codes of ethical and professional standards present within each and
every organization. As the very name suggests, the code of ethics refers to certain rules,
regulations or benchmarks that each and every professional need to follow within their
workplaces. (Holmqvist et al 2014). It refers to a set of rules and laws which all the employees
must follow in order to maintain integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality. There are often
many dilemmas or doubts and matters of confusion arising within the course of business. It is
then, that this code of ethics and professional standards act as guidelines for the company. Like
every other organization and professional skills, maintaining the ethics and the professional
standards is also very much essential in case of occupational therapy (Fraker et al 2014).
. In this paper, I will be dealing with the two problems that I have faced as an
occupational therapist. The two areas of my improvement are time management skills and the
communication skills. I have realized that I need to work on these two areas. I will try to improve
these two skills by emphasizing the HCPC and RCOT codes.
The two important areas where I need to work on are my communication skills and my
time management skills. I have considered these two traits as the key areas of my improvement
because of some reasons. As far as the communication skill is concerned I will try to inculcate
within myself the skills of both verbal and nonverbal communication. As I work in a hospital
which has a very diverse scenario I need to develop a good cultural communication skill because
as per the opinion of Collette et al. good cultural skills are very much important in this
profession. As I work in a hospital in Birmingham, I generally get patients from many different
cultural backgrounds. My first language is Punjabi which I can use while dealing with patients
who are not comfortable in speaking English or whose first language is not English. As an
occupational therapist, I have to make sure that I am able to talk with all my patients in a proper

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way. I must understand their problems and give them the right solution. So, I will have to make
sure that there are no language barriers. In order to do this, can use many sign languages or I can
also make use of any translator who will be able to translate their language to mine and vice
versa. Apart from this I also need to remove all barriers from nonverbal communication as well. I
will have to make use of my Punjabi language in order to convey the messages to the non-
English speaking patients; I can also keep a language translator who will be proficient in the
native language of those patients who do not have English as their first language.
Communication skill is needed because, as an occupational therapist I will have to talk to the
patients and then explain their situations to their doctors as well. However, I also need to bring
several variations in the style of communication. This is because of the fact that the patients I
have to deal with will be from different age groups starting from kids to the old people (Collette
et al 20170). Hence the communication style that will be applicable to an old patient will
obviously differ in case of a child. Hence, if I am to deal with a child, I need to make my
communication skill easier, precise and clear and understandable. Moreover, I have to keep in
mind that my communication skill must be very interesting so that the patients easily get along
with me in the conversation and thus cooperate in the process of the therapy.
Another skill that I need to work on is that of the time management skill because
managing time properly is of utmost importance in occupational theory. I have to deal with
patients who have somehow lost their self-confidence and their morale in life (Fraker et al 2014).
Hence, I have to make sure that I make no delay in their treatment. At the same time, I
also have to make sure that I do not hurry. Being a perfectionist I often try to do the work
accurately but this slows down my speed. However, I cannot afford to make any delay in the
occupational therapy of the patients. Too much delay in the treatment procedure will hamper the

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patients. There has to be a proper pace and time management maintain in the process of
treatment (Adam et al 2013).
Ethics and professional standards are of utmost importance in occupational therapy. This
is because of the fact that, this is a kind of profession that deals with patients having some or the
other disabilities or challenges that have somehow made them socially marginalized
(Nascimento et al 2017).
Hence, the occupational therapists must always keep the information of their clients with
a top secrecy. The occupational therapists must provide the complete security to their clients and
must maintain proper confidentiality (Adam et al 2013). They can only give away the
information with the proper consent of the clients. Apart from this, they must provide complete
freedom to the patients to make their choices and their decisions. The occupational therapists
must properly abide by the ethics and the professional standards relating to their profession.
As an occupational therapist I need to maintain several ethical standards. I have already
recognized that two of my weaknesses that I need to work upon are tome management and
communication. I will have to make sure that there is no discrimination between patients based
on their cultural and social backgrounds. I must make sure that I have a sufficient knowledge
about the language of different patients. There can be scenarios where I will be treating several
non English speaking patients. In such cases, I will have to interact with them in their native
language. Being a Punjabi I can use my Punjabi language to speak with the patients if they find it
suitable. As per the opinion of Adam et al. 2013an occupational therapist must be proficient in
languages of the patients that he will be treating. However as per the opinion I will also be
treating patients who are coming from other linguistic backgrounds as well. In such cases I will