ethics reflection essay

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Ethics Reflection Paper, Essay Example

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Introduction

In general terms the concept of ethics relates to how we conduct ourselves from a moralistic, obligatory and virtuous standpoint. Whereas personal ethics are more in keeping with our personal values and commitments to others, professional /business ethics tends to be more holistic by nature and relates to those standards we uphold in our professional lives. In certain professions these can be very serious and have life threatening consequences i.e. Doctors, Lawyers, Bankers, etc.

Being a morale person is to be guided by a sense of personal ethical standards and to live within the confines of the law and your religion. This means respecting the rights of others and being equitable in your affairs with people. Success often is born from opposite morale values like bending the legal framework to your own advantage (manipulative) and disregarding the rights or concerns of others putting your own self-interests first. Obtaining personal ethics is really to define who you are as a person i.e. one of substance and integrity or self-centered and manipulative. Establishing your ethical framework may be obtained at an early age by becoming involved with social clubs, communities, sporting events etc. It is good to be competitive provided you retain a sense of personal balance and you do not become obsessive about it. Life offers many other facets that are equally rewarding, nurses being an example of people who find a great deal of satisfaction by helping others whilst retaining a healthy ambition to succeed at their job. (Newton, L.H. 2003)

Role of Ethics in Strategic Planning

It was Peter Druker who addressed the considerations of ethics in strategic planning by framing the question – “first ask what business we are in?” (Schulman, M. 2013). There are three main ethical pillars that impact the formulation of strategic planning:-

? What does the business represent?

? The purpose of the business?

? What values does the business have?

The ethical statement of the business should underpin the mission statement of the business. The stakeholders want to see a business that obeys the rule of law, they want the business to be open and transparent in the way it conducts business and finally for the company to manage its finances in an honest and responsible way so as to protect the interests of investors and shareholders. The stakeholders want to see that the CEO and Board of Directors have a strong moral compass and that this projects downwards into the organization and reflected in the business operations. (Gebler, D. 2013).

Personal Ethical Perspectives

It is fair to say that everybody, leastwise in Western democracies, has both freedom of expression and the right of choice. As such this can be morally bad or good. In theory we are all bound by the law of the land and as such our interpretation and application of these laws will vary according to our own moral standards. If you are an educated person with a relatively affluent upbringing you are more likely to respect and uphold the law. In this case the laws seem much more pertinent to your position and role in life. If you are a poor person with no education and forced to survive in the streets of a City, then your ethics are much likely to be tuned more towards survivalism as opposed to upholding the common law.

In general terms my ethical perspectives have increased in recognising how important this subject is in the efficient management of corporate enterprises.

Gebler, D. (2013, 1 25). Business Ethics and Social Responsibility . Retrieved from Free library: http://managementhelp.org/businessethics/index.htm

Newton, L. H. (2003). Ethics in America, 2nd Edition. New York: Prentice Hall.

Schulman, M. (2013, 1 25). Incorporating Ethics into the Organization’s Strategic Plan . Retrieved from Santa Clara University, CA: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/business/strategic-plan.html

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How to Write an Ethics Paper: Guide & Ethical Essay Examples

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An ethics essay is a type of academic writing that explores ethical issues and dilemmas. Students should evaluates them in terms of moral principles and values. The purpose of an ethics essay is to examine the moral implications of a particular issue, and provide a reasoned argument in support of an ethical perspective.

Writing an essay about ethics is a tough task for most students. The process involves creating an outline to guide your arguments about a topic and planning your ideas to convince the reader of your feelings about a difficult issue. If you still need assistance putting together your thoughts in composing a good paper, you have come to the right place. We have provided a series of steps and tips to show how you can achieve success in writing. This guide will tell you how to write an ethics paper using ethical essay examples to understand every step it takes to be proficient. In case you don’t have time for writing, get in touch with our professional essay writers for hire . Our experts work hard to supply students with excellent essays.

What Is an Ethics Essay?

An ethics essay uses moral theories to build arguments on an issue. You describe a controversial problem and examine it to determine how it affects individuals or society. Ethics papers analyze arguments on both sides of a possible dilemma, focusing on right and wrong. The analysis gained can be used to solve real-life cases. Before embarking on writing an ethical essay, keep in mind that most individuals follow moral principles. From a social context perspective, these rules define how a human behaves or acts towards another. Therefore, your theme essay on ethics needs to demonstrate how a person feels about these moral principles. More specifically, your task is to show how significant that issue is and discuss if you value or discredit it.

Purpose of an Essay on Ethics

The primary purpose of an ethics essay is to initiate an argument on a moral issue using reasoning and critical evidence. Instead of providing general information about a problem, you present solid arguments about how you view the moral concern and how it affects you or society. When writing an ethical paper, you demonstrate philosophical competence, using appropriate moral perspectives and principles.

Things to Write an Essay About Ethics On

Before you start to write ethics essays, consider a topic you can easily address. In most cases, an ethical issues essay analyzes right and wrong. This includes discussing ethics and morals and how they contribute to the right behaviors. You can also talk about work ethic, code of conduct, and how employees promote or disregard the need for change. However, you can explore other areas by asking yourself what ethics mean to you. Think about how a recent game you watched with friends started a controversial argument. Or maybe a newspaper that highlighted a story you felt was misunderstood or blown out of proportion. This way, you can come up with an excellent topic that resonates with your personal ethics and beliefs.

Ethics Paper Outline

Sometimes, you will be asked to submit an outline before writing an ethics paper. Creating an outline for an ethics paper is an essential step in creating a good essay. You can use it to arrange your points and supporting evidence before writing. It also helps organize your thoughts, enabling you to fill any gaps in your ideas. The outline for an essay should contain short and numbered sentences to cover the format and outline. Each section is structured to enable you to plan your work and include all sources in writing an ethics paper. An ethics essay outline is as follows:

• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Restate thesis statement
• Summarize key points
• Final thoughts on the topic

Using this outline will improve clarity and focus throughout your writing process.

Ethical Essay Structure

Ethics essays are similar to other essays based on their format, outline, and structure. An ethical essay should have a well-defined introduction, body, and conclusion section as its structure. When planning your ideas, make sure that the introduction and conclusion are around 20 percent of the paper, leaving the rest to the body. We will take a detailed look at what each part entails and give examples that are going to help you understand them better.  Refer to our essay structure examples to find a fitting way of organizing your writing.

Ethics Paper Introduction

An ethics essay introduction gives a synopsis of your main argument. One step on how to write an introduction for an ethics paper is telling about the topic and describing its background information. This paragraph should be brief and straight to the point. It informs readers what your position is on that issue. Start with an essay hook to generate interest from your audience. It can be a question you will address or a misunderstanding that leads up to your main argument. You can also add more perspectives to be discussed; this will inform readers on what to expect in the paper.

Ethics Essay Introduction Example

You can find many ethics essay introduction examples on the internet. In this guide, we have written an excellent extract to demonstrate how it should be structured. As you read, examine how it begins with a hook and then provides background information on an issue. 

Imagine living in a world where people only lie, and honesty is becoming a scarce commodity. Indeed, modern society is facing this reality as truth and deception can no longer be separated. Technology has facilitated a quick transmission of voluminous information, whereas it's hard separating facts from opinions.

In this example, the first sentence of the introduction makes a claim or uses a question to hook the reader.

Ethics Essay Thesis Statement

An ethics paper must contain a thesis statement in the first paragraph. Learning how to write a thesis statement for an ethics paper is necessary as readers often look at it to gauge whether the essay is worth their time.

When you deviate away from the thesis, your whole paper loses meaning. In ethics essays, your thesis statement is a roadmap in writing, stressing your position on the problem and giving reasons for taking that stance. It should focus on a specific element of the issue being discussed. When writing a thesis statement, ensure that you can easily make arguments for or against its stance.

Ethical Paper Thesis Example

Look at this example of an ethics paper thesis statement and examine how well it has been written to state a position and provide reasons for doing so:

The moral implications of dishonesty are far-reaching as they undermine trust, integrity, and other foundations of society, damaging personal and professional relationships. 

The above thesis statement example is clear and concise, indicating that this paper will highlight the effects of dishonesty in society. Moreover, it focuses on aspects of personal and professional relationships.

Ethics Essay Body

The body section is the heart of an ethics paper as it presents the author's main points. In an ethical essay, each body paragraph has several elements that should explain your main idea. These include:

• A topic sentence that is precise and reiterates your stance on the issue.
• Evidence supporting it.
• Examples that illustrate your argument.
• A thorough analysis showing how the evidence and examples relate to that issue.
• A transition sentence that connects one paragraph to another with the help of essay transitions .

When you write an ethics essay, adding relevant examples strengthens your main point and makes it easy for others to understand and comprehend your argument. 

Body Paragraph for Ethics Paper Example

A good body paragraph must have a well-defined topic sentence that makes a claim and includes evidence and examples to support it. Look at part of an example of ethics essay body paragraph below and see how its idea has been developed:

Honesty is an essential component of professional integrity. In many fields, trust and credibility are crucial for professionals to build relationships and success. For example, a doctor who is dishonest about a potential side effect of a medication is not only acting unethically but also putting the health and well-being of their patients at risk. Similarly, a dishonest businessman could achieve short-term benefits but will lose their client’s trust.

Ethics Essay Conclusion

A concluding paragraph shares the summary and overview of the author's main arguments. Many students need clarification on what should be included in the essay conclusion and how best to get a reader's attention. When writing an ethics paper conclusion, consider the following:

• Restate the thesis statement to emphasize your position.
• Summarize its main points and evidence.
• Final thoughts on the issue and any other considerations.

You can also reflect on the topic or acknowledge any possible challenges or questions that have not been answered. A closing statement should present a call to action on the problem based on your position.

Sample Ethics Paper Conclusion

The conclusion paragraph restates the thesis statement and summarizes the arguments presented in that paper. The sample conclusion for an ethical essay example below demonstrates how you should write a concluding statement.  

In conclusion, the implications of dishonesty and the importance of honesty in our lives cannot be overstated. Honesty builds solid relationships, effective communication, and better decision-making. This essay has explored how dishonesty impacts people and that we should value honesty. We hope this essay will help readers assess their behavior and work towards being more honest in their lives.

In the above extract, the writer gives final thoughts on the topic, urging readers to adopt honest behavior.

How to Write an Ethics Paper?

As you learn how to write an ethics essay, it is not advised to immediately choose a topic and begin writing. When you follow this method, you will get stuck or fail to present concrete ideas. A good writer understands the importance of planning. As a fact, you should organize your work and ensure it captures key elements that shed more light on your arguments. Hence, following the essay structure and creating an outline to guide your writing process is the best approach. In the following segment, we have highlighted step-by-step techniques on how to write a good ethics paper.

1. Pick a Topic

Before writing ethical papers, brainstorm to find ideal topics that can be easily debated. For starters, make a list, then select a title that presents a moral issue that may be explained and addressed from opposing sides. Make sure you choose one that interests you. Here are a few ideas to help you search for topics:

• Review current trends affecting people.
• Think about your personal experiences.
• Study different moral theories and principles.
• Examine classical moral dilemmas.

Once you find a suitable topic and are ready, start to write your ethics essay, conduct preliminary research, and ascertain that there are enough sources to support it.

2. Conduct In-Depth Research

Once you choose a topic for your essay, the next step is gathering sufficient information about it. Conducting in-depth research entails looking through scholarly journals to find credible material. Ensure you note down all sources you found helpful to assist you on how to write your ethics paper. Use the following steps to help you conduct your research:

• Clearly state and define a problem you want to discuss.
• This will guide your research process.
• Develop keywords that match the topic.
• Begin searching from a wide perspective. This will allow you to collect more information, then narrow it down by using the identified words above.

3. Develop an Ethics Essay Outline

An outline will ease up your writing process when developing an ethic essay. As you develop a paper on ethics, jot down factual ideas that will build your paragraphs for each section. Include the following steps in your process:

• Review the topic and information gathered to write a thesis statement.
• Identify the main arguments you want to discuss and include their evidence.
• Group them into sections, each presenting a new idea that supports the thesis.
• Write an outline.
• Review and refine it.

Examples can also be included to support your main arguments. The structure should be sequential, coherent, and with a good flow from beginning to end. When you follow all steps, you can create an engaging and organized outline that will help you write a good essay.

4. Write an Ethics Essay

Once you have selected a topic, conducted research, and outlined your main points, you can begin writing an essay . Ensure you adhere to the ethics paper format you have chosen. Start an ethics paper with an overview of your topic to capture the readers' attention. Build upon your paper by avoiding ambiguous arguments and using the outline to help you write your essay on ethics. Finish the introduction paragraph with a thesis statement that explains your main position.  Expand on your thesis statement in all essay paragraphs. Each paragraph should start with a topic sentence and provide evidence plus an example to solidify your argument, strengthen the main point, and let readers see the reasoning behind your stance. Finally, conclude the essay by restating your thesis statement and summarizing all key ideas. Your conclusion should engage the reader, posing questions or urging them to reflect on the issue and how it will impact them.

5. Proofread Your Ethics Essay

Proofreading your essay is the last step as you countercheck any grammatical or structural errors in your essay. When writing your ethic paper, typical mistakes you could encounter include the following:

• Spelling errors: e.g., there, they’re, their.
• Homophone words: such as new vs. knew.
• Inconsistencies: like mixing British and American words, e.g., color vs. color.
• Formatting issues: e.g., double spacing, different font types.

While proofreading your ethical issue essay, read it aloud to detect lexical errors or ambiguous phrases that distort its meaning. Verify your information and ensure it is relevant and up-to-date. You can ask your fellow student to read the essay and give feedback on its structure and quality.

Ethics Essay Examples

Writing an essay is challenging without the right steps. There are so many ethics paper examples on the internet, however, we have provided a list of free ethics essay examples below that are well-structured and have a solid argument to help you write your paper. Click on them and see how each writing step has been integrated. Ethics essay example 1

Ethics essay example 2

Ethics essay example 3

Ethics essay example 4

College ethics essay example 5

Ethics Essay Writing Tips

When writing papers on ethics, here are several tips to help you complete an excellent essay:

• Choose a narrow topic and avoid broad subjects, as it is easy to cover the topic in detail.
• Ensure you have background information. A good understanding of a topic can make it easy to apply all necessary moral theories and principles in writing your paper.
• State your position clearly. It is important to be sure about your stance as it will allow you to draft your arguments accordingly.
• When writing ethics essays, be mindful of your audience. Provide arguments that they can understand.
• Integrate solid examples into your essay. Morality can be hard to understand; therefore, using them will help a reader grasp these concepts.

Bottom Line on Writing an Ethics Paper

Creating this essay is a common exercise in academics that allows students to build critical skills. When you begin writing, state your stance on an issue and provide arguments to support your position. This guide gives information on how to write an ethics essay as well as examples of ethics papers. Remember to follow these points in your writing:

• Create an outline highlighting your main points.
• Write an effective introduction and provide background information on an issue.
• Include a thesis statement.
• Develop concrete arguments and their counterarguments, and use examples.
• Sum up all your key points in your conclusion and restate your thesis statement.

Contact our academic writing platform and have your challenge solved. Here, you can order essays and papers on any topic and enjoy top quality. 

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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CUNY York, MSPAS

Ethics Reflection Essay

       This essay is a reflection on the Ethics course, a part of York PA program curriculum, and it includes aspects I foresee as central to my clinical practice as well as ethical frameworks I am looking to implement to achieve their accomplishment.

        My desire to become a Physician Assistant stemmed from interactions with a few very inspiring people who dedicated themselves to helping others, not only at their workplace, but everywhere they went, without expecting anything in return. I believe it is the ultimate higher purpose that I want to dedicate myself to and becoming a Physician Assistant helps me fulfill it. We meet clinicians at the worst times of our lives, and the ability to be a person others turn to in times of distress is a big honor.  

         Analyzing some of the clinical practice I have had and thinking ahead  about what the future will hold,  I believe aspects such as continuous education, patient-centered care, transparency, shared decision making and ensuring patient autonomy will be central to my practice since in the place where I grew up those components of health care were almost absent. I was raised in a small town in Ukraine where access to healthcare was very limited and its quality was poor due to lack of financing. Both of my grandparents died at a young age at the hospital due to completely preventable causes and I have promised myself that the way I will practice medicine is going to be the way I would have wanted for them to be treated.

       Beneficence is a principle based on the practice of providing benefit, which can mean either “preventing/ removing harm or directly producing a good” 2 . Interesting thing about beneficence is that it means not only to mean good, but to actually result in good produced. If the clinician means good but simply does not possess enough expertise to provide the best treatment possible, he or she has a moral obligation to refer the patient to another provider who does, that is why adapting to emerging changes in demand by continuous education is one of the key hallmarks of an advanced practice.

       Beneficence runs parallel to non-maleficence which means minimizing harm. Minimizing harm requires thinking ahead. Defining goals of care of every shareholder is a good place to start. What might be a goal of care for the clinician or a family member, might not necessarily reflect patient’s desires and, from the patient’s perspective, produce more harm than good. According to Kirk, beneficence is producing an outcome that is consistent with patient’s goal of care. For example, a clinician may think the cancer patient would want an advanced aggressive treatment that has promising outcomes, but patient’s priority may be to spend as much time as they can at home with people they love and die in peace. A family member of an adult with a decision-making capacity may insist on futile treatments where the patient him/herself might not want them. In that case, opting out of treatments that would not align with patient’s goals of care would mean a practice of non-maleficence.  Thus, knowing patient’s priorities and being able to attend to them is eminent to a successful patient-centered practice.

         So how do we define “good” and who dictates it? The answer is simple: every shareholder is taken into consideration, but patient’s desires overrides everyone else’s if patient has decision making capacity (or unless proven otherwise) and is acting truly autonomously.

         Patient centered care and shared decision-making employ ensuring patient Autonomy. It has many different aspects, all equally important. Autonomy as free action is ability to do what one wishes to do and not being forced to do what one does not want to 1 .  Since my experience and main interest is mostly in radiation oncology, issues of patient autonomy in my practice may arise very often. When patient is diagnosed with cancer, his/her decisions affect not only them but everyone around them, of which they are very well aware. This pressure may at times cloud patient’s judgement when making decisions regards treatment. It is my direct responsibility to recognize and ensure every aspect of patient autonomy throughout every step of our interaction.

       Cancer is a very multifaceted disease, different approaches to treatment of which may produce different outcomes. Defining goals of care for the patient making sure the priorities are established properly should be the first step of agreeing on a treatment strategy.  In order to do that, a complete transparency and proper enforcement of every aspect of informed consent would need to take place.  By giving the patient all the options, including opting out of treatment with proper explanation of harms and benefits that come with them and time to ponder on their decision, I would ensure Autonomy as Free action as well as Autonomy as Effective Deliberation that has to do with the rationality of a person’s thought process as well as ensuring that the action chosen is consistent with the outcome desired 1 . That transparency makes sure patient’s thought process is not compromised by a lack of information and that patient has all the tools to make decisions autonomously.

       One of the reasons I chose to become a PA over any other profession is because PAs are able to spend more time with patients than the physicians are, thus getting to know their patients and their moral character. Prolonged sickness can affect a patient in many different ways including making them act out of character. Being a steward of Autonomy as Authenticity making sure my patients’ decisions and behaviors are in check with their moral values is a great honor.

         Sometimes patient’s goal of care gets lost in a sea of voices of people who care for them which may result in patient agreeing to a treatment they don’t truly want, just to keep their significant other/son/daughter happy. In some cultures, if the patient is a married woman, decisions about her healthcare may be made by her husband or father. Same often happens with the elderly – they give up their right to make decisions to their loved ones because the culture/religion dictates that.  It is my job to help patient analyze whether values guiding their action have been freely and deliberately chosen or they have been adopted unconsciously and uncritically 1 , thus upholding the tenets Autonomy as moral reflection which requires that type of self-assessment. Only by establishing a trusting relationship can that type of advisement take place and I’m looking forward to refining those skills in order to become the best version of myself and a proud representative of the Physician Assistant profession.

        This essay briefly summarized some of the key aspects of my future clinical practice and their support by ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence and Autonomy as well as their application and analysis. Ethics course provided some clarity on ways to become a better provider and think critically in difficult situations.

        Works cited

1 Yeo, M et al. (2010).  Autonomy   [selections]. In M Yeo et al. (eds.).  Concepts and Cases in Nursing  Ethics. [3rd edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 91-97, 103-109.

2 Yeo, Michael et al. (2010).  Beneficence  . In M Yeo et al. (eds.).  Concepts and Cases in Nursing Ethics.  [3rd edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 103-116.

3 T. Kirk, HPPA 514: Building Arguments in Health Care Ethics Cases  , p.2.

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Writing Ethical Papers: Top Tips to Ace Your Assignment

17 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

Writing a complex essay paper can be a tough task for any student, especially for those who do not have their skills developed well or do not have enough time for lengthy assignments. At the same time, the majority of college students need to keep their grades high to maintain their right to receive merit-based scholarships and continue their studies the next year. To help you with your ethical papers writing, we created this guide. Below, you will find out what an ethical paper is, how to structure it and write it efficiently. 

What is an Ethical Paper?

An ethics paper is a type of an argumentative assignment that deals with a certain ethical problem that a student has to describe and solve. Also, it can be an essay where a certain controversial event or concept is elaborated through an ethical lens (e.g. moral rules and principles), or a certain ethical dilemma is explained. Since ethics is connected to moral concepts and choices, a student needs to have a fair knowledge of philosophy and get ready to answer questions related to relationships, justice, professional and social duties, the origin of good and evil, etc., to write a quality paper. Also, writing an ethics paper implies that a student should process a great amount of information regarding their topic and analyze it according to paper terms.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper

Understanding the ethical papers’ features.

Every essay has differences and features that make it unique. Writing ethical papers implies that a student will use their knowledge of morality and philosophy to resolve a certain ethical dilemma or solve a situation. It can also be a paper in which a student needs to provide their reasoning on ethical or legal circumstances that follow a social issue. Finally, it can be an assignment in which an ethical concept and its application are described. On the contrary, a history essay deals with events that took place somewhen earlier, while a narrative essay is a paper where students demonstrate their storytelling skills, etc.

Defining What Type of Essay Should Be Written

Most of the time, ethical paper topics imply that a student will write an argumentative essay; however, ethics essays can also be descriptive and expository. Each of these essay types has different guidelines for writing, so be sure you know them before you start writing your papers on ethics. In case you missed this step in your ethical paper preparation stage, you would end up writing a paper that misses many important points.

Studying the Ethical Paper Guidelines

Once you get your ethical paper assignment, look through the guidelines that your instructor provided to you. If you receive them during the class, don’t hesitate to pose any questions immediately to remove any misunderstanding before writing an ethics paper outline, or ask for references that you need to use. When you are about to write your first draft, don’t rush: read the paper instructions once again to make sure you understand what is needed from you.

Paying Attention to the Paper Topic

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the ethical paper topic: once you are given one, make sure it falls into the scope of your educational course. After that, consider what additional knowledge may be needed to elaborate on your topic and think about what courses of your program could be helpful for it. Once you are done, read through your topic again to recheck whether you understand your assignment right.

Understanding the Notions of Ethical Arguments, Ethical and Legal Implications, and Ethical Dilemma

Last but not least, another important factor is that a student has to understand the basic terms of the assignment to write a high-quality paper. Ethical arguments are a set of moral rules that are used to defend your position on an ethical issue stated in your essay topic. We refer to ethical versus legal implications when we think about the compensation for certain ethical dilemma outcomes and whether it should be a moral punishment or legal judgment. An ethical dilemma itself refers to a problem or situation which makes an individual doubt what position to take: e.g, abortion, bribery, corruption, etc.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper

Every essay has a structure that makes it a solid piece of writing with straight reasoning and argumentation, and an ethics paper is not an exclusion. This paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Below, we will describe how each part of ethical papers should be organized and what information they should contain.

First comes the introduction. It is the opening part of your paper which helps a reader to get familiar with your topic and understand what your paper will be about. Therefore, it should contain some information on your ethics paper topics and a thesis statement, which is a central statement of your paper.

The essay body is the most substantive part of your essay where all the reasoning and arguments should be presented. Each paragraph should contain an argument that supports or contradicts your thesis statement and pieces of evidence to support your position. Pick at least three arguments to make your position clear in your essay, and then your paper will be considered well-structured.

The third part of an ethics paper outline is a conclusion, which is a finishing essay part. Its goal is to wrap up the whole essay and make the author’s position clear for the last time. The thoughtful formulation in this essay part should be especially clear and concise to demonstrate the writer’s ability to make conclusions and persuade readers.

Also, don’t forget to include the works cited page after your writing. It should mention all the reference materials that you used in your paper in the order of appearance or in the alphabetical one. This page should be formatted according to the assigned formatting style. Most often, the most frequently used format for ethical papers is APA.

20 Examples of Ethical Paper Topics

• Are there any issues in the 21st century that we can consider immoral and why?
• What is corporate ethics?
• Why is being selfish no longer an issue in 2023?
• Euthanasia: pros and cons
• Marijuana legalization: should it be allowed all over the world?
• Is abortion an ethical issue nowadays?
• Can we invent a universal religion appropriate for all?
• Is the church necessary to pray to God?
• Can we forgive infidelity and should we do it?
• How to react if you are witnessing high school bullying?
• What are the ways to respond to a family abusing individual?
• How to demand your privacy protection in a digital world?
• The history of the American ethical thought
• Can war be ethical and what should the conflicting sides do to make it possible?
• Ethical issues of keeping a zoo in 2023
• Who is in charge of controlling the world’s population?
• How to achieve equality in the world’s rich and poor gap?
• Is science ethical?
• How ethical is genetic engineering?
• Why many countries refuse to go back to carrying out the death penalty?

Ethical Papers Examples

If you still have no idea about how to write an ethics paper, looking through other students’ successful examples is always a good idea. Below, you can find a relevant ethics paper example that you can skim through and see how to build your reasoning and argumentation in your own paper.

https://www.currentschoolnews.com/education-news/ethics-essay-examples/

https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2014/11/18/essay-2-personal-ethics-and-decision-making/

Ethical Papers Writing Tips

Choose a topic that falls into the ethics course program.

In case you were not given the ethics paper topic, consider choosing it yourself. To do that, brainstorm the ethical issues that fascinate you enough to do research. List all these issues on a paper sheet and then cross out those that are too broad or require expertise that you don’t have. The next step you need to take is to choose three or four ethical topics for papers from the list and try to do a quick search online to find out whether these topics are elaborated enough to find sources and reference materials on them. Last, choose one topic that you like the most and find the most relevant one in terms of available data for reference.

Do your research

Once the topic is chosen and organized, dive deeper into it to find the most credible, reliable, and trusted service. Use your university library, online scientific journals, documentaries, and other sources to get the information from. Remember to take notes while working with every new piece of reference material to not forget the ideas that you will base your argumentation on.

Follow the guidelines for a paper outline

During the preparation for your ethical paper and the process of writing it, remember to follow your professor’s instructions (e.g. font, size, spacing, citation style, etc.). If you neglect them, your grade for the paper will decrease significantly.

Write the essay body first

Do not rush to start writing your ethics papers from the very beginning; to write a good essay, you need to have your outline and thesis statement first. Then, go to writing body paragraphs to demonstrate your expertise on the issue you are writing about. Remember that one supporting idea should be covered in one paragraph and should be followed by the piece of evidence that confirms it.

Make sure your introduction and conclusion translate the same message

After your essay body is done, write a conclusion and an introduction for your paper. The main tip regarding these ethics paper parts is that you should make them interrelated: your conclusion has to restate your introduction but not repeat it. Also, a conclusion should wrap up your writing and make it credible for the audience.

Add citations

Every top-quality paper has the works cited page and citations to demonstrate that the research on the topic has been carried out. Therefore, do not omit this point when formatting your paper: add all the sources to the works cited page and pay attention to citing throughout the text. The latter should be done according to the formatting style indicated in your instructions.

Edit your paper

Last but not least is the editing and proofreading stage that you need to carry out before you submit your paper to your instructor. Consider keeping your first draft away from sight for a day or two to have a rest, and then go back to check it for errors and redundant phrases. Don’t rush to change anything immediately after finishing your writing since you are already tired and less focused, so some mistakes may be missed.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

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Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

Business Ethics: Reflective Essay

The concept of ethics is very essential in the development of operational strategies in any business organization. Various decision-making procedures right from the time of recruitment of employees, defining the goals and objectives of the organization, designing the appropriate organizational structure, developing the organizational strategies, and integration of the strategies in the business operations all require ethical consideration.

This course on business ethics has endowed us with the ability to make ethical judgments when handling issues that often arise at different workplaces.

It touched on different issues that are encountered at workplace like discrimination based gender, harassment at work, alcohol and drug testing on the new employees in an organization, business and individual privacy, and the impacts that the operations of the organization has on the environment. However, ethics in business remains to have various controversies (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2009, p.5).

Module 1 of the course had some of the most striking concepts encountered in the contemporary business world. The module comprised ethical consideration relating to privacy in business. Privacy has been regarded as a legal right of an individual for a long time (Frye, 2001, p.32). The current market is competitive and business organizations are striving to acquire or maintain a higher market position.

This is often achieved through the kind of relationship that the business organizations develop with the stakeholders especially the clients of the organization. A good privacy statement by a given business organization will strengthen the kind of trust that the clients have in the organization thereby retaining such clients (Zahorsky, 2011, para.7). Utilitarianism, one of the ethical principles, is illustrated in this module.

The principle asserts that an ethical act is that which yields the greatest amount of good for the majority in a given setting (Kay, 1997, para.1). The concept of utilitarianism is often difficult to comprehend in the normal context as the kind of the “goodness” it requires may not be defined explicitly. The other party may regard what seems good to one party as bad. However, in this context, it was very clear that establishing a private policy that protects the information on consumers was of benefit both to the organization and to the clients.

A good privacy statement will explain to the clients why the information concerning them is needed by the organization, how the information will be used in the organization, the individuals who will be allowed access to such information, and how the information will be protected from unauthorized users (Zahorsky, 2011, para.8).

It also needs to provide the clients with an option to decline to provide such information. Instantly, the need of modern technology is evident in ensuring privacy in business. Technology has been seen to improve privacy although a lot of care needs to be taken to bar the irresponsible users from mismanaging the systems.

The second module focused on ethical considerations on cases of discrimination witnessed at workplaces. This was also interesting as it focused on how ethics can help avoid cases of discrimination witnessed at workplace.

The third module presented what I viewed as some of the challenges that may be experienced when applying ethics in business operations. This module also focused on the kinds of discrimination at workplace and the best approach to avoid them. It emerges that certain situations will call for discrimination. A typical organization in a competitive market would always want to have good reputation among a wide category of individuals.

A good approach would be to ensure that different individuals are included in the workforce by considering different categories: gender, age, race, disability, or language group. Situations often arise when a role is available that may not be performed by an employee randomly selected from these category. In deed, there are circumstances that require one to acknowledge the differences like gender, race, and even disability (Hunter, 1992, p.6).

For instance, in the event that the available job requires lifting of heavy loads like large parcels, it may not convenient to hire an employee with physical disability or a female employee. The organization will be forced to discriminate based on these factors. Other situations may call for discrimination based on the language group in order to improve on the delivery of services to the clients. This area generated many discussions and gave me much trouble as these could be seen as violation of the rights of these minority categories.

Ferrell, O., Fraedrich, J. and Ferrell, L. (2009). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Seventh edition. South-Western: Cengage Learning.

Frye, C. (2001). Privacy-enhanced business: adapting to the online environment. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Hunter, R. (1992). Indirect discrimination the workplace. Sydney: Federation Press.

Kay, C. (1997). Notes on utilitarianism. Retrieved from http://sites.wofford.edu/kaycd/utilitarianism/

Zahorsky, D. (2011). Is your small business privacy friendly? Web.

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Home Essay Examples Philosophy Personal Ethics

Reflection Of Personal Ethics

• Category Philosophy
• Subcategory Ethics and Moral Philosophy
• Topic Personal Ethics

Every decision we make in our daily life, more so as potential psychologists, we will refer to our professional and personal ethics. We must understand the connection between both types of ethics and how they influence what decisions we make. According to the textbook, Ethical Dilemmas in Psychotherapy, it is expressed that ethical dilemmas can cause a conflict of interest between professional and personal ethics (Knapp et al., 2015, p. 4). In the following essay, I will be going into detail about the formation of my ethics and what has changed to it as I became the person I am today. Considering all of my professional ethics will be decided by APA, I will only be referring to my personal ethics and values.

During my childhood, my ethical stance was a product of my parent’s teachings and rules, further reinforced by the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. I was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic household where I was taught basic morals, such as not to lie or harm others. It was during this time I was also introduced to the Golden Rule by my parents. The Golden Rule is simply defined as doing unto others what you wish to be done to yourselves (Apresian, R. G., 2002). It was through this widely used term I was taught the meaning of equality. At the end of my childhood, my personal ethics consisted of always being truthful, following the example of the Golden Rule, and to help others. Furthermore, I followed all ethical stances that the Roman Catholic church had, such as the right choice is the one that promotes life.

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During my adolescent years, my ethical position became a hybrid product of my experiences, my parent’s teachings, and my friend’s own ethics. During this time, I started to doubt my parents and the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings concerning lying and treating every person by the standards of the Golden Rule. My moral and ethical compass now included the beliefs that my friends held. These views consisted of lying if the situation warranted it and that the only right choice was defined by what was beneficial for me or caused me the most pleasure. The general population considers adolescents to act less morally conscious than their more mature adult counterparts (Hart, Carlo, 2005). However, my past behavior can be seen as skewed from the majority of adolescents as they statistically value honest in most situations (Perkins, Turiel, 2007). When I was only fifteen years old, my father passed away due to a brain aneurysm which he fought over several months. The tragedy of my father’s death emotionally exhausted my family and me, and when it was all over, I possessed the predisposition that life is too short. Due to this, I concluded that morally acceptable actions were whatever gave me the most pleasure as I now saw life as extremely fragile. This included lying and performing unexpectable societal activities to fulfill my own pleasurable whims. Erratic behavior can be seen as typical for adolescents when losing a parental figure, as they are attempting to process the loss of a large portion of their foundation (Biank, Werner-Lin, 2011). At the end of my adolescence, my personal ethics consisted of doing anything, including lying and performing unacceptable societal actions, if it brought me the most pleasure in a given situation. This included only helping others if it would, in turn, benefit myself. I lost any respect for the ethical stances of the Roman Catholic Church at this time, as I personally blamed them for giving me baseless hope concerning my father.

During my undergraduate education, my ethical stance became a hybrid product of my experiences, my philosophy studies, my parent’s past teachings, and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Those four years were vital in my moral development as I had adequately grieved the passing of my father. From this, I sought out an understanding of why I held my adolescent morals. I made the decision to seek out and reaffirm or replace my ethical stances with ones based on philosophy and logic. When I entered as a freshman, I decided to also minor my psychological studies with classes in philosophy to help find my moral identity. In these classes, I was able to take my childhood beliefs and evolved them to the selfish stances I held in adolescence. I took my adolescent moral position that I should do whatever gave me the most pleasure and developed into the John Stuart Mill version of Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism proposed that morality is based on what action creates the most quantifiable happiness for others (Bennett,2017, p. 4-17). This moral view can be seen as questionable and potentially selfish, but in reality, it is dictated by the needs of others, which, by definition, cannot be selfish (Patterson, 2005). Another ethical stance I held was evolved from the teaching I received from my family and the Roman Catholic Church. Those teachings changed into the same standards maintained in the Kantian ethical theory with several exceptions. The Kantian ethical stance proposed that there are specific moral certainties such as treating others as equals and that we “ought” do the right thing in every situation (Johnson et al.,2016). The only exception I held with this ethical theory is that it is okay to lie if it is the only way to bring the most pleasurable conclusion to a conflict. My exceptions are not unheard of when based on one’s ethics on this theory, as shown when Hegelian made his objection to the fundamentals of the Kantian ethical theory (Mills, 2017). Towards the end of my undergraduate education, my personal ethics consisted of doing what created the most quantifiable pleasure for others and myself. Furthermore, while also considering the moral certainties that “ought” to be followed, such as treating everyone equally and holding them to the same standard as myself and Vise-Versa.

Now in my graduate studies, my current ethical stance has become a hybrid product of my experiences, my parent’s teachings, my friend’s ethics, and my philosophical studies. I now hold the moral view that the right choice is the one that brings the most quantitative pleasure with the exception to my personal satisfaction. I believe in my modified Kantian ethical view as it elaborates on the Golden Rule my parents taught me, which promotes equality among all parties. Lastly, I think the right choice is always the one that protects the sanctity of life as I have come to understand how fragile it is. I hope that I will be able to remain faithful to my ethics while following the professional ethics set for me by the APA.

• Patterson, W. R. (2005). The Greatest Good for the Most Fit? John Stuart Mill, Thomas Henry Huxley, and Social Darwinism. Journal of Social Philosophy, 36(1), 72–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9833.2005.00259.x
• García Mills, N. (2018). Realizing the Good: Hegel’s Critique of Kantian Morality. European Journal of Philosophy, 26(1), 195–212. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejop.12214
• Biank, N. M., & Werner-Lin, A. (2011). Growing Up with Grief: Revisiting the Death of a Parent Over the Life Course. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 63(3), 271–290. https://doi.org/10.2190/OM.63.3.e
• Perkins, S. A., & Turiel, E. (2007). To Lie or Not to Lie: To Whom and Under What Circumstances. Child Development, 78(2), 609–621. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01017.x
• Apresian, R. G. (2002). Talion and the Golden Rule. Russian Studies in Philosophy, 41(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.2753/RSP1061-1967410146
• Bennett, J. (Trans.). (2017). Utilitarianism. Retrieved from https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/mill1863.pdf
• Knapp, S., Gottlieb, M. C., & Handelsman, M. M. (2015). Ethical dilemmas in psychotherapy: positive approaches to decision making. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Hart, D., & Carlo, G. (2005). Moral Development in Adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence (Wiley-Blackwell), 15(3), 223–233. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uttyler.edu/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2005.00094.x
• Johnson, R., & Cureton, A. (2016, July 7). Kant’s Moral Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/

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Home — Essay Samples — Philosophy — Ethics — Ethics Reflection Paper: Miss Evers’ Boys

Ethics Reflection Paper: Miss Evers' Boys

• Categories: Ethics Morality

About this sample

Words: 1439 |

Published: Mar 3, 2020

Words: 1439 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Works Cited

• Baillie, H. (2009). Dignity, respect, and the nurse-patient relationship. British Journal of Nursing, 18(13), 796-799.
• Bowrey, K., & Thompson, K. (2014). Informed consent in healthcare: Challenges and opportunities. British Journal of Nursing, 23(6), 319-324.
• Miss Evers' Boys. (1997). Directed by J. Sargent. HBO Films.
• Tuskegee study. (2021, April 26). In Britannica. Retrieved May 22, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Tuskegee-study
• Tuskegee University. (n.d.). The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. Retrieved May 22, 2023, from https://www.tuskegee.edu/about-us/centers-of-excellence/bioethics-center/about-the-usphs-syphilis-study
• Washington, H. A. (2007). Medical apartheid: The dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from colonial times to the present. Doubleday.
• White, R. M. (2012). Performing the Tuskegee study: Narrative, ethics, and the construction of clinical knowledge in Miss Evers' Boys. Bulletin of the History of Medicine, 86(3), 433-464.
• Williams, J. (1999). The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: The real story and beyond. Journal of Black Studies, 29(2), 165-175.
• Wynia, M. K. (2015). Building a better legacy: Lessons from the Tuskegee syphilis study. The Hastings Center Report, 45(S1), S33-S36.
• Zaner, R. M. (2002). Reflections on the ethics of the Tuskegee Syphilis study. Social Science & Medicine, 54(11), 1667-1675.

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Physician assistant – certified (pa-c), biomedical ethics: reflection paper.

In this essay, I will demonstrate that Beneficence, Autonomy, and Truthfulness are central to my decision to become a Physician Assistant and will play the greatest role in my ethical decision-making in clinical practice.

My choice to become a PA stems from my desire to help people, especially when they are vulnerable. I am fascinated by the ever-growing wealth of medical knowledge, having a general interest in the biological sciences and medicine specifically. There is nothing more gratifying than involvement in this problem-solving puzzle that is patient care. Equally important is the fact that not all ailments can be treated such that symptom resolution is achieved or that the patient is cured. In these instances, simply caring for these patients while sharing positive interactions, smiles, and making them comfortable and unafraid is most important to me. My choice to become a PA sees the intersection of desire, duty, and honor; the PA career parallels my passion, and in the near future, I hope to be grateful for every patient I care for.

Competent delivery of evidence-based medicine, and thus keeping up with changing treatment modalities, is very important to me. This is also true of practicing patient-centered medicine and shared decision-making. I wish for my patient interactions to be such that we are on a dynamic team. Therefore, having an informed patient population and ensuring informed consent is upheld is paramount. The importance lies in producing better healthcare experiences and outcomes. Relationship building and engaging in supportive conversations with my patients is also important. In the instances I described above in which treatment may not render the patient asymptomatic or “cured,” I wish to understand and aid in the choices my patients wish to make.

Beneficence, Autonomy, and Truthfulness will play the greatest role in my ethical decision-making in clinical practice. Beneficence means acting to maximize good or minimize harm. (Yeo et al., 2010, p. 103) Autonomy is an individual’s right to make choices related to their life. (Yeo et al., 2010, p. 91) Truthfulness is a dynamic exchange that does not involve withholding information; where appropriate, what is known is shared. (Surbone, 2006, p. 944)

Beneficence is demonstrated regarding my desire to deliver evidence-based medicine. As a future PA, I am looking forward to keeping up with medical literature to learn about ever-changing treatment modalities that may afford my patients maximal benefits while minimizing harms. Autonomy supports practicing patient-centered medicine and shared decision-making. In order to inform my patients and allow them to participate in informed consent or other treatment decisions, disclosure of the totality of information related to their diagnosis and treatment options (risks, benefits, and alternatives) is important. This process refers to the ethical principal of Truthfulness. Thus, Truthfulness fosters an informed patient population which in turn fosters Autonomy. Once the patient has received all of the necessary information, we should respect their right to make decisions about matters that significantly impact themselves. It is important to note that practicing patient-centered medicine can sometimes raise the question of “What is Beneficial?” and “To Whom?” This may produce tension between Autonomy and Beneficence. Consider an example in which a patient is newly-diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Perhaps treatment via surgery is possible, but due to the location of the tumor, it would result in paralysis. After appreciating the risks, benefits, and alternatives to the surgical procedure, the patient elects not to have the surgery and chooses palliative care. The team thinks that removing the tumor would produce the greatest benefit for the patient. The patient, on the other hand, has no interest in life if he/she were paralyzed. In this example, the teams view of benefit differs from that of the patient. In considering Autonomy, the patient’s right to make decisions about matters that significantly impact himself/herself should be respected. Meanwhile, the team must expand their perspective to understand that what they view as beneficial is not what the patient views as beneficial. In expanding their understanding, the tension between Autonomy and Beneficence resolves; after disclosure of the necessary information, the patient is making the choice, and this choice is consistent with what they perceive as producing maximal benefit. As a patient-provider team, information will be disclosed and the patient will reciprocally disclose their treatment goals, their values, and other critical factors that guide medical care. This is involved in individualized, patient-centered care. It is my philosophy, and the literature has also demonstrated, that positive interactions can be beneficial for patients. This can maximize good for the patient as it produces the most beneficial psychosocial outcome which can influence the course of their disease and how they deal with it. Additionally, I wish to reduce feelings of fear in the face of illness. These two notions parallel Beneficence.

This essay successfully demonstrated that Beneficence, Autonomy, and Truthfulness are core principles regarding, both, my decision to become a PA and the aspects of clinical practice I feel to be most important.

Reference List

Surbone, A. (2006). Telling the truth to patients with cancer: what is the truth?  Lancet

            Oncology . [7 th  edition], pp. 944-950.

Yeo, M et al. (2010). Autonomy [selections]. In M Yeo et al. (eds.).  Concepts and Cases in

            Nursing Ethics . [3 rd  edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 91-97, 103-109.

Yeo, M et al. (2010). Beneficence. In M Yeo et al. (eds.).  Concepts and Cases in Nursing         

            Ethics . [3 rd  edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 103-116.

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Example Of Essay On Ethics Reflection Paper

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Students , Ethics , Ethical , Counselor , Case , Law , School , Student

Words: 3750

Published: 03/08/2023

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Brief Overview In the work of a school counselor, ethical code of conduct plays a central role identifying the quality of the profession. A failure to comply with the ethical rules may lead to the disciplinary and legal consequences that will affect the career as well as the entire educational establishment. It is essential to remember that school bears a list of responsibilities for the life and well-being of children and adolescents that are both legally and ethically safeguarded by the state and the entire community. Consequently, the educators have to preserve a balance between their personal beliefs and interests and the needs of the students, parents, and the society. The harmony of this interrelationship is quite fragile, as the teachers deal with the subjective opinions, values, and needs that may differ in both students and their parents. Negligent treatment or a careless phrase expressed in the professional circle may lead to the serious outcomes. Disrespect of the personal boundaries or reckless use of information can cause legal and disciplinary consequences as well, which points to the need to be especially attentive to personal behavior, code of conduct, and ethical values before entering the field of education. The cases presented in the list reflect both the egregious errors and difficult ethical dilemmas that may cause irreversible damage to the school’s reputation and an image of the educator. The first case involves the problem of professional boundaries and the need of a school counselor to search and present the information adequately. The main problem is the inability to promote one of the students to the 9th form due to the comment of the teacher that he accomplished nothing during the 8th grade. While the parents insist that the main barrier hindering the student from performing better is a mild ADHD, the comment of the counselor that the student is simply lazy and is interested in the social life. From one point of view, the comment made by the counselor is quite unprofessional and insensitive, yet at the same time, it may not constitute actual defamation insisted by the parents. In this case, a student may be simply lazy and inattentive, as ADHD does not mean that individual cannot perform in school. Yet, at least partially, the psychological condition of a student may affect his academic performance. The court order will depend on the provision of the legislation, the ability to prove or disprove that the student was affected by ADHD in terms of performance, if the comment of a counselor about his laziness had an impact on the student, and the actual performance of the student on the basis of his school records and evaluation of the teacher. The second case involves an error in handling the sensitive information and dealing with the vulnerable populations. A teacher gathering a study group meeting reveals that Robert, one of the students has been sexually abused, which was not permitted by his parents. It is a huge mistake of the teacher to not only reveal but to make it a public knowledge that one of the students has been sexually abused. Here, personal beliefs of the teacher and his/her view regarding the good of a student and the group do not play an important role, as it is essential to preserve individual’s personal information, especially such vulnerable one, as long as it possible, especially when the student is a minor. The decision of the teacher was neither ethical nor legal. The third case involves the strategies of record keeping and reporting, as one of the teachers reveals the personal information publicly to the colleagues. Despite the fact that the educator is aware that one of the students impregnated two girls in the class and being proud of it, it is unethical to reveal something like that to the group of colleagues. At the same time, this is a problematic question of whether the case represents a slander. The main problem here is the inability to prove how this information affects the student and if it was true. However, the actions of the teacher are not ethical in regard to the student as well as his parents. The fourth case is a particularly difficult issue for the teacher as it represents the professional ethic values of the group. The teacher is included into the informal in-group membership that constitutes the ability to bond, spend time together, and enjoy mutually benefiting professional relationship. At the same time, the knowledge of the non-acceptance of some of the educators questions the ethical health of the in-group and its informal leaders. It is important to take into account the personal need to build a stable professional relationship as it will help the career and the dynamics in the educational establishment. On the other hand, ostracizing the other educators is not a good example for the students and tends to be damaging the school in general. Consequently, it is important to find a compromise with the informal group members to include the other educators at least to some of the group activities in order to improve the relationship with each other.

The initial impression of the case studies reveals their main strengths and limitations. While some of the cases are quite clear in terms of legal and ethical consequences, the others constitute a dilemma that may have different outcomes. The first case is quite problematic, as it involves a medical condition, which will be the biggest strength for the plaintiff. At the same time, the records of the school teacher may damage their case, as the student may actually be lazy and irresponsible disregarding the medical condition. Also, the statement of laziness of the student was brought to the attention of the parents. Yet, while the principal was present during the meeting, it enables the plaintiff to think that it is defamation. The teacher who claimed that the student is lazy must have reasonable grounds to say this. At the same time, it is unclear how the statement will affect the student in future, which is the weakest point of the case. It is quite clear that the teacher in the second case was wrong both legally and ethically. The court will satisfy the suit of the plaintiff as it is a clear case of the inability to handle personal information and work with the vulnerable population. As the student is a minor, the consent to reveal such information has to be given by his parents and himself preferably in a written form in order to avoid the legal suit in future. As none of these conditions were followed, the court will have to use punitive measures depending on the scale of damage made to the student. The main strength of the case is the disclosure of the personal information by the teacher without the written consent of the parents. Unfortunately, there are no limitations for the plaintiff and it will eventually bring negative consequences to the career of the educator and the school. Finally, the fourth case study involves the professional ethics, which will be difficult to change if the in-group and its leaders have been practicing such treatment of the out-group teachers. The main strength of the teacher is to explain the necessity to include the others in several group occasions; the core limitation is the possibility to damage the relationship with the informal leaders and the group.

Enhancing Ethical Decision Making

Strategies to Improve Ethical Decision Making The results of the analysis show that the school counselor is required to execute excellent ethical conduct and make sure that the educators together with the tom management of the facility follow the code of conduct. To address these aims and objectives, the school counselor has to take care of personal compliance with the ethical principles, legal issues, and policies existing in the field of education. In order to improve the ethical decision-making, it is essential to impellent the strategies of self-assessment by reviewing each problematic case from the point of view of all parties involved. Also, the self-assessment has to include the review of the cases from the legal point of view, where the vision of the legal counselor may be provided as well. The school counselor has to take care not only of personal reputation and the image of the educators but about the school in general that includes the students and their parents. Here, the conduct of all parties has to be examined as the students and their parents also may involve into the unethical conduct that may affect the school as well. The Code of Ethics for Educators established by Association of the American Educators (AAE) Advisory Board designates the frames of conduct for all professionals operating within the educational sector (AAE, 2016). The Code covers all areas important for every teacher and school counselor, including the treatment of students, professional colleagues, community, and exercising the practices in the classroom (AAE, 2016). For instance, one of the provisions of the Code claims that “the educator does not reveal confidential information concerning students unless required by law”, which was abused in the second case study (AAE, 2016). Also, another provision emphasizes that the teacher does not present the information about the student following personal bias, prejudice, or distortion, which may be the case in the third case (AAE, 2016). It is possible to make assumptions following the Code, which requires being more attentive to the students’ interests rather than personal agenda. This set of rules helps to improve the ethical decision making by providing clear and concise rules regarding each professional area of functioning of the educator. Also, ASCA and ACA codes of ethics have to guide the work of the counselors throughout their practice by indicating where the specialists are required to support the educators and where it is necessary to back up the position of the parents and students to maintain the ethical code of conduct. All sections in both documents are aimed to increase the awareness of the counselors about their actions and their outcomes for all parties involved. Also, the Codes have the purpose of guiding the counselors through the difficult situations that requires a multifaceted approach, which is essential for the situation where legal and ethical principles are blurred. The policies and legal documents that aim to guide the educators and increase the quality of ethical decision-making by establishing the rules of behavior and treatment of the students, parents, colleagues, the facility, and the community. The U.S. Department of Education advises to focus on the several policies and legislations, such as the Civil Rights, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act), and Higher Education Act that regulate every instance of the educational practice in the U.S. (The U.S. Department of Education, 2016). For instance, ESSA is targeting the improvement of the school performance among the students designating the parental involvement into the educational process and the actions of the teachers that have to target the enhancement of the academic performance (ESSA, 2001). FERPA regulates the privacy of the students’ records, which hinders the educators to release them to public without the written consent of the parents (FERPA, 2012). Each of these legal documents safeguards the boundaries of the conduct of both parents and the educational establishments.

Ethical and Legal Challenges in Cases

Each of the cases generates several issues that concern ethical and legal questions. The first case involving the inability to promote a student, the counselor violated one of the ethical norms, where it is required that “counselors are aware of—and avoid imposing—their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors” (ACA, 2014, p. 5). By claiming that the student is lazy and cares only about social life, the counselor crosses the boundaries and bases the evaluation of the students only on the point of view of a single teacher by simplifying the data. At the same time, this case does not violate any legislations, as the information was stated only in the presence of parents and a principal and according to FERPA (2012), the educator has the right to provide all information about the student to the “school officials with legitimate educational interests”. At the same time, there is a limitation regarding whether the case constitutes a defamation. In this case, the family aims to prove that the counselor made a slander, as it was an orally expressed comment. In this case, the parents will have to prove that the comment made by the counselor is the act of defamation, where the information was not based on truth, was damaging to the student, and it was made publically. As the balance between the defamation and free speech is quite fragile, the counselor may plead the First Amendment as the main source of defense, which allows free speech (U.S. Const. amend. I). It is a complicated matter, yet it is possible to claim that the court decision will not find the statement of the counselor to be a slander, due to the weaknesses of the case in proving the damage to the student and the public nature of the statement. The second case involves several legal and ethical issues that present the counselor in the negative light. The counselor violated one of the ACA’s provisions that requires to “disclose information only with appropriate consent or with sound legal or ethical justification” (ACA, 2014, p. 7). It is quite evident that the counselor disclosed the personal information illegally and following the unethical premise. Despite the personal beliefs about the good of the students and the group, personal information that can make a child vulnerable cannot be shared with the group without the written consent signed by the parents, oral consent of the student, or the legal requirement. Also, the counselor has violated the FERPA (2012) provisions that require the professionals in the education field to safeguard the private information of the students, not to share it with the public in oral or written form and include only the observations or professional opinion. Therefore, the parents have a solid case in terms of punishing the counselor and the school for the inappropriate code of conduct. The third case requires the thorough examination in terms of legal and ethical conduct. First of all, the counselor violated the same provisions of ACA, as it was indicated in the first case. The teacher must not have made the public statement based on personal bias, prejudice, or opinion (ACA, 2014). In this case, the counselor may have damaged the personal reputation of the student even if the statement is true. Legally, the statement may constitute a slander as it was expressed in the oral form, it was publicly made, the information provided by the counselor is based only on rumors or on the student’s personal claims, and may damage him in future. At the same time, the counselor may plead the First Amendment as well as the main defense against the accusations (U.S. Const. amend. I). Overall, the counselor has to be punished for the violation of the ethical code of conduct, where the disciplinary measures may be applied by the school officials. The fourth case does not involve any legal issues, yet it refers to the ethical code of conduct among the educators. It is the obligation of the counselor to establish high ethical standards in the interdisciplinary team, where the ACA code claims “when a team decision raises ethical concerns, counselors’ first attempt to resolve the concern within the team” (ACA, 2014, p. 10). In the current case, the counselor noticed that the group acts unethically in regard to the out-group members, which is inappropriate in the educational community. The counselor may alert the school officials about the inappropriate behavior of the informal leaders and press them to make appropriate changes in the behavior and conduct of the teachers. In order to enact the same policies, the counselor may create an example by involving the out-group members into the activities held by the in-group leaders. If the situation raises any conflicts, the colleagues have to be notified about their unethical conduct and inappropriate treatment of the other professionals. In this case, the counselor may deteriorate the relationship with the group, which is the major limitation of the actions connected to this case. However, the ethical code of conduct has to be the priority of the counselor and unethical behavior has to be eliminated.

Summary Reflection

The current assignment improved my personal vision of ethical code of conduct and the dynamics of the relationship of the counselor with the students, parents, school officials, and educators. It became clear that the violations of the ethical norms may lead to the legal responsibility, which makes the counselor accountable in many cases of possible errors. It is easy to make a mistake by expressing a personal opinion or following personal bias and prejudice, which can trigger serious outcomes. I have realized that the school counselor has to remain his/her opinions and personal vision outside the school and be objective and unbiased in working with the clients, collaborating with parents, and dealing with the teachers as well as the school officials. The current assignment acknowledged me with the several sides of the questions involving ethical and legal problems. I came to a conclusion that the current case analysis provided with the several possible scenarios when the school counselor acts irrationally, unethically, and inappropriately due to the lack of understanding how such actions may affect the career and the educational establishment. In a lot of instances, the field of ethics has been named as the most problematic in the country. It concerns both public and private institutions. As the community requires the improvements in this direction, it is the responsibility of the school to improve the quality of education in this discipline. Yet, theoretical knowledge of ethics is not enough for the students, as they need to observe the application of the ethical principles in practice. The best way of creating such practical interventions is to show it by the personal example. The environment where the teachers and counselors execute high ethical standards by being respectful to students, their families, and themselves, teaches students to follow the same rules. Moreover, ethical standards are not only the set of written rules; it is the type of appropriate behavior that has to be applied in all fields, including the education. Practicing the ethical code of conduct is essential for the counselors as well as the entire school, as it is impossible to educate the citizens without being ethical ourselves. These practices improve the community and trigger a positive social change in the schools by eliminating unfair conduct and respecting each other. I consider that ethical standards are better to be enhanced by practicing them daily. It concerns the relationship with not only colleagues, clients, and school officials, but has to be the part of personal life and position as well. Therefore, I think that I will apply the ethical code of conduct to the relationship with my family, friends, and ordinary people, which will help me to become more ethical and understanding. For me, high ethical standards are not only the need to comply with the code of conduct but to be ethical to others, which will eliminate the problems presented in the case studies. When a person lives a “double” life, in one way or another he or she will violate the code of conduct one day. Consequently, I think that the best way of improving myself as a school counselor is to understand the consequences of my actions, how they affect the other parties, and how I can mitigate and predict the risks. One of the most difficult things to practice for me is to take responsibility for the actions of others and monitor their conduct. In our culture, such actions do not encounter with positive reactions of the public, which makes the work of a counselor complicated. At the same time, in school it is the main responsibility of the counselor is to review the actions of other professionals and guide them into the right direction. I think that the interpersonal skills of the school counselors have to be exemplary in order not to deteriorate the relationship with the team and establish the environment of high ethical standards. Therefore, I plan to improve my interpersonal skills by theoretical and practical means. I plan to discuss the ethical standards with the students and colleagues and try to distinguish their understanding of ethics in order to reveal if the future work will hold the difficulties in terms of ethics. I also intend to read respective scientific journals that analyze the problem of ethics in educational establishments. As to the legal issues, I want to familiarize myself with the legislation that concerns the work of counselors and educators, which will enhance my understanding of the legal framework.

American Counseling Association (ACA). (2014). ACA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from: https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf Association of the American Educators (AAE) (2016). AAE Code of Ethics for Educators. Retrieved from: http://www.aaeteachers.org/images/pdfs/aaecodeofethicsforeducators.pdf Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), S. 1177 (2001). Retrieved from: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114s1177enr/pdf/BILLS-114s1177enr.pdf Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Title 34 (2012). Retrieved from: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&SID=16796a773ac48f980cdfaed80b1fa94a&rgn=div5&view=text&node=34:1.1.1.1.33&idno=34 U.S. Const. amend. I. Retrieved from: https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Laws & Guidance. Retrieved from: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/landing.jhtml?src=ft).

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