BirthSkills® Code of Ethics for Certified Practitioners
Purpose
To assure quality and ethical practice, Dr Shari Read has established a Code of Ethics for Certified BirthSkills ® Practitioners and a process by which unethical or other objectionable practice may be addressed.
Code of Ethics for Certified BirthSkills ® Practitioners
PREAMBLE The primary mission of Dr Shari Read and BirthSkills ® is to promote, protect and support women’s choices during the birthing process. This mission is rooted in a core set of values. These values are the foundation for the unique purpose and perspective of the BirthSkills ® Program.
The Certified BirthSkills ® Practitioners Code of Ethics offers a set of values, principles, and standards to guide decision-making and conduct when ethical issues arise. The Code of Ethics serves six purposes:
1.The Code identifies the core values on which the BirthSkills childbirth preparation and education program is based.
2.The Code summarises broad ethical principles that reflects the profession’s core values and establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide childbirth education practice.
3.The Code is designed to help BirthSkills Practitioners identify relevant considerations when professional obligations conflict or ethical uncertainties arise.
4.The Code provides ethical standards to which the public can hold BirthSkills Practitioners accountable.
5.The Code socialises new BirthSkills Practitioners to the profession’s mission, values, principles, and standards.
6.The Code articulates standards that the profession can use to assess whether BirthSkills Practitioners have engaged in unethical conduct.
ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
The following broad ethical principles are based on the core values of the BirthSkills Program. The core values, embraced by Certified BirthSkills ® Practitioners, are the foundation of the BirthSkills Practitioners’ unique purpose and perspective:
·Value: Dignity and worth of the person
·Ethical Principle:BirthSkills Practitioners respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.BirthSkills Practitioners treat each person in a caring and respectful manner, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity.
·Value: Respect for the normal, natural processes of pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding, and women’s inherent ability to give birth.
·Ethical Principle:BirthSkills Practitioners embrace the BirthSkills philosophies of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting. BirthSkills Practitioners promote, protect and support normal birth and breastfeeding whenever possible and appropriate but respectfully acknowledge that when normal birth and/or breastfeeding is not possible or appropriate it is entirely the individual woman’s right to choose the best method for herself and her baby.
·Value: Integrity
·Ethical Principle:BirthSkills Practitioners behave in a trustworthy manner. BirthSkills Practitioners are continually aware of the profession's mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. BirthSkills Practitioners act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organisations with which they are affiliated.
·Value: Competence
·Ethical Principle: BirthSkills Practitioners practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. BirthSkills Practitioners continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply them in practice. BirthSkills Practitioners should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession.
ETHICAL STANDARDS
The following ethical standards are relevant to the professional activities of Certified BirthSkills Practitioners. These standards concern (1) BirthSkills Practitioners’ ethical responsibilities to clients, (2) BirthSkills Practitioners’ ethical responsibilities to colleagues, (3) BirthSkills Practitioners' ethical responsibilities as professionals, (4) BirthSkills Practitioners’ ethical responsibilities to the profession of childbirth education.
Some of the standards that follow are enforceable guidelines for professional conduct, and some are aspirational. The extent to which each standard is enforceable is a matter of professional judgment to be exercised by those responsible for reviewing alleged violations of ethical standards.
1. BirthSkills Practitioners’ Ethical Responsibilities to Childbearing Women
1.01 Commitment to Childbearing Women
BirthSkills Practitioners’ primary responsibility is to promote the well-being of the childbearing woman. In general, the woman’s interests are primary
1.02 Self-Determination
BirthSkills Practitioners respect and promote the right of childbearing women to make informed decisions (informed consent and informed refusal) and to assist childbearing women in their efforts to identify and clarify their goals
1.03 Informed Consent
BirthSkills Practitioners should provide full, accurate, up to date information upon which childbearing women are able to make informed decisions, either informed consent or informed refusal. BirthSkills Practitioners should use positive, clear and understandable language to present benefits, and risks, as well as reasonable alternatives, and the right to refuse or withdraw consent.
1.04 Competence
BirthSkills Practitioners should provide services and represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their certification or other qualifications
1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should understand culture and its function in human behavior and society, recognizing the strengths that exist in all cultures.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should have a knowledge base of their clients' cultures and be able to demonstrate competence in the provision of services that are sensitive to clients' cultures and to differences among people and cultural groups.
1.06 Conflicts of Interest
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should be alert to and strive to avoid conflicts of interest that interfere with the exercise of professional discretion and impartial judgment. When a real or potential conflict of interest arises, BirthSkills Practitioners should first disclose the conflict to clients and then take reasonable steps to resolve the issue in a manner that prioritises the clients' interests and protects clients' interests to the greatest extent possible.
1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should respect clients' right to privacy. BirthSkills Practitioners should not solicit private information from clients unless it is essential to providing services. Once a client shares private information with the BirthSkills Practitioners standards of confidentiality apply.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should take precautions to ensure and maintain the confidentiality of information transmitted to other parties through the use of computers, electronic mail, facsimile machines, telephones and telephone answering machines, and other electronic or computer technology. Disclosure of identifying information should be avoided whenever possible.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners should not disclose identifying information when discussing clients for teaching or training purposes unless the client has consented to disclosure of confidential information.
2. BirthSkills Practitioners’Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues
2.01 Respect
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should treat colleagues with respect and should represent accurately and fairly the qualifications, views, and obligations of colleagues.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should avoid unwarranted negative criticism of colleagues in communications with clients or with other professionals. Unwarranted negative criticism may include demeaning comments that refer to colleagues' level of competence or to individuals' attributes such as race, ethnicity, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners should cooperate with BirthSkills colleagues and with colleagues of other professions when such cooperation serves the well-being of clients.
2.02 Confidentiality
BirthSkills Practitioners should respect confidential information shared by colleagues in the course of their professional relationships and transactions. BirthSkills Practitioners should ensure that such colleagues understand BirthSkills Practitioners’ obligation to respect confidentiality and any exceptions related to it.
2.03 Interdisciplinary Collaboration
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners who are members of an interdisciplinary team should participate in and contribute to decisions that affect the well-being of clients by drawing on the perspectives, values, and experiences of the childbirth education profession.
(b) When a team decision raises ethical concerns and the disagreement can not be resolved within the team, the childbirth educator should continue to advocate for the childbearing woman by attempting to resolve the issue through appropriate channels.
2.04 Referral for Services
BirthSkills Practitioners should suggest a referral to clients to other professionals when the other professionals' specialised knowledge or expertise is needed to serve clients fully or when additional service is required.
2.05 Incompetence of Colleagues
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners who have direct knowledge of a BirthSkills colleague's incompetence should consult with that colleague when feasible and assist the colleague in taking remedial action.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners who believe that a BirthSkills colleague is incompetent and has not taken adequate steps to address the incompetence should take action through appropriate channels established by employers, and Dr Shari Read.
2.06 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should take adequate measures to discourage, prevent, expose, and correct the unethical conduct of colleagues.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should be knowledgeable about established policies and procedures for handling concerns about colleagues' unethical behaviour, specifically the policies of BirthSkills and Dr Shari Read.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should seek resolution by discussing their concerns with the colleague when feasible and when such discussion is likely to be productive.
(d) When necessary, BirthSkills Practitioners who believe that a colleague has acted unethically should take action through appropriate formal channels.
(e) BirthSkills Practitioners should defend and assist colleagues who are unjustly charged with unethical conduct.
3. BirthSkills Practitioners’ Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals
3.01 Competence
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should accept responsibility or employment only on the basis of existing competence or the intention to acquire the necessary competence in a timely manner.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should strive to become and remain proficient in professional practice and the performance of professional functions. BirthSkills Practitioners should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to childbirth education. BirthSkills Practitioners should routinely review the professional literature and participate in continuing education relevant to childbirth education.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners should base practice on best evidence related to maternity care practices and teaching and learning.
(d) BirthSkills Practitioners should maintain certification.
3.02 Discrimination
BirthSkills Practitioners should not practice, condone, facilitate, or collaborate with any form of discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, or mental or physical disability.
3.03 Private Conduct
BirthSkills Practitioners should not permit their private conduct to interfere with their ability to fulfil their professional responsibilities.
3.04 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception
BirthSkills Practitioners should not participate in, condone, or be associated with dishonesty, fraud, or deception.
3.05 Misrepresentation
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should make clear distinctions between statements made and actions engaged in as a private individual and as a representative of the childbirth education profession, BirthSkills, or the childbirth educator’s employing agency.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners who speak on behalf of Dr Shari Read or BirthSkills should accurately represent the official and authorised positions of the organisation.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners should ensure that their representations to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, education, competence, affiliations, services provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. BirthSkills Practitioners should claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others.
(d) Certified BirthSkills Practitioners are entitled to use BirthSkills™ registered marks in conformance with the philosophy, principles and written policies of Dr Shari Read.
3.06 Solicitations
BirthSkills Practitioners should critically evaluate the consequences of endorsing specific products before they distribute any materials (such as, but not limited to, free samples or educational materials developed by companies that market such products) to childbearing women.
3.07 Acknowledging Credit
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed and to which they have contributed.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should honestly acknowledge the work of and the contributions made by others.
4. BirthSkills Practitioners’ Ethical Responsibilities to the Childbirth Education Profession
4.01 Integrity of the Profession
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should work toward the maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice that are consistent with the BirthSkills philosophies of pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting.
(b) BirthSkills Practitioners should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and mission of the profession. BirthSkills Practitioners should protect, enhance, and improve the integrity of the profession through appropriate study and research, active discussion, and responsible criticism of the profession.
(c) BirthSkills Practitioners should contribute time and professional expertise to activities that promote respect for the value, integrity, and competence of the childbirth education profession. These activities may include teaching, research, consultation, service, legislative testimony, peer review, presentations in the community, and participation in BirthSkills Program Development or the organisation.
(d) BirthSkills Practitioners should contribute to the knowledge base of childbirth education and share with colleagues their knowledge related to practice, research, and ethics. BirthSkills Practitioners should seek to contribute to the profession's literature and to share their knowledge at professional meetings and conferences.
4.02 Evaluation and Research
(a) BirthSkills Practitioners should critically examine and keep current with emerging knowledge relevant to childbirth education and fully use evaluation and research evidence in their professional practice in order to practice using best evidence.
5.0 BirthSkills Practitioners’ Ethical Responsibilities in the Broader Society
BirthSkills Practitioners should collaborate with other health professionals and concerned persons in promoting local, regional, national and international efforts to meet the health, safety and education needs of the childbearing family.
6.0 Grounds for Mandatory Sanctions
1. Conduct prejudicial activities to the professional standards established by Dr Shari Read and Certified BirthSkills Practitioners.
2. Obtaining, attempting to obtain, or knowingly assisting another to obtain or attempt to obtain certification or renewed certification by a false or misleading statement or failure to make a required statement, fraud or deception in an application, reapplication or any other communication to Shari.
3. Misrepresentation of BirthSkills certification or renewed affiliation status.
4. Irregularity in connection with a BirthSkills training component including, but not limited to:
a. Copying assignments/case studies or client evaluation forms
b. Permitting another to copy any of the above
c. Falsifying information required for admission to an assessment
d. Impersonating another trainee
e. Falsifying education or credentials
f. Providing and/or receiving unauthorised advice about program content during the training
5. Failure to:
a. Pay required fees
b. Provide required written information
c. Update information timely
6. Unauthorized possession, use, or distribution of, or access to BirthSkills materials including training materials, BirthSkills™ registered marks, logo, credentials, and/or certificates.
7. Limitation or sanction, whether voluntary or involuntary, by a governmental regulatory board or professional organisation relating to public health or the specialty of childbirth education.
8. Conviction in a court of law, after all appeals have been exhausted, of a felony or misdemeanour which may affect public health or safety. Such offenses include, but are not limited to:
a. Drug or alcohol offense.
b. Job related negligence or misconduct resulting in endangerment to the health and/or safety of a client.
c. An act of physical violence such as murder, rape, robbery, etc.
9. Other violation of a BirthSkills standard, policy, or procedure as provided to candidates or certified practitioners, as amended from time to time in its sole discretion.