Caitlin Bray

In the future, my current plan is to go to graduate school and become a Physical

Therapist, so that is the code of ethics that I chose to read. I was not surprised about most of it,

most of the points and principles on the code are what I could have expected to be there. In the

code, there are eight major principles, and within those eight principles, there are different

amounts of subprinciples that give examples of what the major one is, so that there are no grey

areas. Each one of the eight principles also has listed under it the core value or values it follows.

There are seven different core values listed, however some are listed more than once, and some

of the core principles contain more than one core values. This code of ethics was written by the

House of Delegates of the American Physical Therapy Association.

The first principle states that Physical Therapists have to respect the dignity and rights of

everyone. Its core values are compassion and integrity. This one did not surprise me at all,

because if a PT did not respect their client’s rights and dignity, there would be no trust, so the

person would most likely not go back to that exact PT. They need to feel like they aren’t being

judged or mocked, and are actually cared about. The second principle states that Physical

Therapists should be trustworthy and compassionate while addressing the needs of their clients.

Its core values are altruism, compassion and professional duty. This one also did not surprise,

because once again, a client is not going to go back to a PT who is not compassionate about there

needs or feels like they don’t care about them. The third principle states that Physical Therapists

are accountable for making sound professional judgements. Its core values are excellence and

integrity. This one is also not surprising, because as an adult in the medical field, it is expected

that you make honest decisions based on your education to make the best possible decision for

the person’s needs. The fourth principle states that Physical Therapists should demonstrate

integrity in all of their relationships. Its core value is integrity. I wasn’t surprised by most of the
Caitlin Bray

subprinciples, however I did not expect 4D. , which says that a PT should report suspected cases

abuse. I did not think that that was under their job description, and would not have thought of

that specific point if I had written this code. The fifth principle states that Physical Therapists

must fulfill their legal and professional obligations. Its core values are professional duty and

accountability. The sixth principle states that a Physical Therapist should enhance their expertise

through lifelong learning. Its core value is excellence. This didn’t surprise me, because almost

every occupation requires continuing education, so that you can always have the most recent

knowledge. The seventh principle states that a Physical Therapist should be organized. Its core

values are integrity and accountability. This also did not surprise me. It is important for a PT to

be organized so that they can keep different clients’ records separate so that they do not mix

them up and lose something important. The eight and final principle says that a Physical

Therapist should make the effort to meet the health needs of local, national, and global citizens. I

expected some of the subprinciples when I read this one, but 8D was a bit surprising for me, I did

not think that it was a PT’s job to educate random members of the public about the benefits of

PT.

Overall, most of the code of ethics was straight forward, and contained most of what I

thought it should. It was actually somewhat difficult for me to find things that I did not believe

were important enough to be in the code. I am really glad, however, that I read this, because now

I know what is going to be expected of me in the future, and I can start working now towards

being that person I am expected to be.