Professional Ethics and Law

Course Description

Course Description:

In practicing a profession, three interrelated but distinct areas come into play: professional values, ethics, and the law. Although all three areas are related to one another, sometimes they can conflict with one another. Sometimes, also, values can conflict with other values, as can ethics. When ethics conflict, an ethical dilemma results. When professional values conflict with professional ethics, the organized and generally agreed-upon framework of an ethical code is vital. When ethics and the law collide, it may be necessary to consult the relevant professional organization. The American Medical Association, for example, has become involved when the law required that a physician be present at an execution. The AMA code of ethics explicitly forbids physicians from participating in capital punishment (Henry, 2018).