Running Head: ETHICS ASSIGNMENT 1

Ethics Assignment

Mariam Aoun

Madonna University
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Ethics Assignment

The Academy/CDR Code of Ethics for the Nutrition and Dietetics Profession establishes

the principles and ethical standards that underlie the nutrition and dietetics practitioner’s roles

and conduct. The primary goal is the protection of the individuals, groups, organizations,

communities, or populations with whom the practitioner works and interacts. It guides decision

making and the behavior of individuals, as well as providing them with specific guidelines to

make ethical decisions in the work environment. This Code applies to nutrition and dietetics

practitioners who act in a wide variety of capacities, provides general principles and specific

ethical standards for situations frequently encountered in daily practice. It also applies to all

members of the Academy who are credentialed by CDR, all members of the Academy who are

not credentialed by CDR, and all CDR credentialed practitioners, whether or not they are

members of the Academy. Although all of the principles of The Code are important, there are a

few that are viewed to be the most significant. Principle one states that the practitioner conducts

himself/herself with honesty, integrity, and fairness. These are all important qualities that are

looked for in a healthcare professional, as each client should be treated with the same amount of

fairness and respect. This can also be tied in with principle three, where the practitioner

considers the health, safety, and welfare of the public at all times, which is vital for any

professional owing to the fact that they should always be honest when reporting any behavior

that is unethical and will interfere with the client’s well being. Another principle that is seen to

be majorly important is principle five. It is critical that the dietitian provides services with

objectivity and respect for the needs and values of an individual and that they are sensitive of a

person’s cultural differences without discriminating against their race, gender, disability, or
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sexual orientation. This is one of the biggest seen problems in any workplace and it is unfair to

be treating anyone differently based on the way they are. Lastly, principle thirteen is crucial to a

practitioner because they should always be giving information that is trustworthy and reliable

without being bias in order to ensure that the client is being provided the most optimal care and

treatment knowing that they are in good hands and do not have to second guess what they are

told. If the ethical behavior of a registered dietitian is disagreed with, a complaint can be

submitted in writing to the Ethics Committee to be reviewed and will determine if an ethics issue

is involved. Based on this case, there are a few principles that can be applied from the

information given. Principle one can be applied because Mr. Helpon was not being fair to JB.

The way he was performing his duties were very unprofessional and he did not even bother to

look at the current medical history, blood glucose records, or the medication regimen. He tore up

a piece of paper and quickly wrote a sample menu for only one day and he was not providing JB

with sufficient information, which can also apply to principle 6, where it states that the

practitioner does not engage in false or misleading practices or communications, something that

was done by Mr. Helpon. Principle fourteen applies to this case as well because it seemed like

Mr. Helpon did not care, as he was not striving to increase his professional knowledge and skills

and apply them in practice, and more like he was in a hurry to finish the appointment quickly. As

a member of the Ethics Committee, this case is ruled to be an ethics issue. This conclusion has

been made based on the fact that Mr. Helpon was unprofessional in the time that he was

awakened by the knock on the door, did not review the current medical history or other records

of the client, quickly ripped out a piece of paper and only provided the client with a sample menu

for one day, along with handing a bill for the short consultation that was not done properly.