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The Speech Pathology
Australia Code of
Ethics describes appropriate professional and ethical
communication both explicitly and implicitly in a
number of sections, such as:
Values
Quality Standards and Continuing Competence – we
value clear and timely communication with our clients,
the community and all with whom we interact.
Principles
Truth – we tell the truth
Fairness – we provide accurate information
Professional Integrity – we are respectful and
courteous
Standards
3.3.3 Professional Reputation
– we avoid behaviour
that would bring the profession into disrepute, such
as disparaging the skills, knowledge or services of our
colleagues
3.4.1 Professional Standards
– we treat our
colleagues with honesty, fairness, respect and good
faith
There are other standards within the code that relate
to communication with clients and the community in
general, however those mentioned above highlight
our ethical obligations when interacting with
colleagues and other professionals.
What does this mean in practice?
As professionals with specific expertise in
communication we should be in the best position to
answer that question. Nonetheless, calls received
by National Office from speech pathologists who
have experienced inappropriate or confronting
communication from colleagues (within speech
pathology and other professions) indicates that it
is worth consciously reflecting on how we enact
those values, principles and standards when having
discussions with our associates, to ensure we are
interacting in an appropriate and ethical manner.
All of us have experienced situations where we were
aware of an issue that raised questions in our mind or
did not appear to be appropriate, which we wanted to
discuss with a colleague, a supervisee or supervisor,
or a manager. It may be best to approach the
person themselves initially, and then to seek further
discussion if the situation or issue is not resolved. It
is worth planning those discussions to ensure that
we are maintaining and demonstrating respect for
the other professional by presenting information in
an objective way, listening, reflecting, and being fully
engaged in the discussion. Allow sufficient time to
explore all viewpoints and avoid rushing, and make
sure the potential for disruption is minimised, i.e. does
Respectful professional communication
Ethics News
Interacting and communicating with colleagues in a
professional and ethical way are integral to professionally
acceptable behaviour.