Sociology – Legal and Ethical Reflections
Weekly Question: Do you think CM is at any higher risk of producing negligent practitioners because it asks too much of them? It demands they be holistic and therefore treat all aspects of their clients, for example, but they may neglect the psychological, or spiritual or even the biological.
Is this negligence?
From my experience, at an Advanced Diploma Level of Naturopathy or in thinking about training in other disciplines such as a Bachelor’s Degree, Health Science, I think overall the Industry is an ethical one and it is rare to see Negligence (those cases endagering a person’s life due to Practitioners working outside the scope of their role). The Scope of the Role and Code of Ethics in Practitioner Associations is taught in detail in the courses. All practitioners need to know this to gain the qualifications. So, if a person attends an appointment they can expect professionalism which follows Duty of Care practices to work within safe guidelines. Treatments will normally follow discussion, explanation, and informed consent practices.
If a practitioner states that they practice complementary therapies alongside their qualification, for example Reiki and Medical Intuitive practices, then they’re stating just that, and as long as they don’t make claims to be able to solely cure a person, then they can practice as a therapist offering this alongside their healthcare practices to those seeking this service. Practitioners may also work collaboratively alongside other practitioner’s offering different areas of specialisation to help the client achieve good results.
Becoming a Support Worker solidified a lot of the training I had done in Naturopathy because here I really learned from a practical application at work 20 plus hours a week, the basics of non-negligence or competence. We learned about acts such as the Privacy and Confidentiality, Anti Discrimination, Health Care Act, Workplace Health and Safety, Children and Young Persons Act, and other Legal factors and terminology relevant to providing a service in the Community.
Having said all of this I think that there is an element of responsibility on the consumers part too. They do need to research the service they’re engaging with and find their way around this space themselves as well. A service or practitioner can’t be fully responsible for a persons psychological, spiritual, and biological health, they can only assist. There are avenues for internal and external complaints and conflict resolution if required.
It’s an interesting topic. The question this week has made me think a bit more deeply on this. A week or so ago my son and I did an 8 hour walk at Mt Field National Park. It was Difficult! We walked up and along steep stretches of rock boulders, down watery, slippery, muddy tracks, along tarns and back up steep rock banks to complete the circuit! Plenty of times we could have rolled our ankle or broken a leg! It was challenging and it was glorious!! And I couldn’t help thinking thank goodness I have a day outside a ‘cotton wool’ society. No one had ‘CAUTION’ signs around every rock and potentially slippery track; No one micromanaged in pre-detail and in writing what each section of the track might entail. The ownus was on us to ‘enter at own risk’ and to do our own research on how much food, drink, and other resources such as sunscreen or spare clothes we would need to successfully complete the walk.
At first I was a bit shocked because I hadn’t researched the walk path in detail beforehand and there were no in depth information, warning or safety notices at the National Park, just a walk – sign in and out book, a notice about weather changes during walking, and a reminder to pack enough water. Even the front desk staff at the main car park didn’t offer us any additional information on the walks.
An insight I gained is that I achieved positive results psychologically, spiritually, and biologically from this challenge with minimal guidance. I felt a sense of accomplishment from completing the walk successfully.
Class responses
Love your reflection! It is interesting that you had no prior knowledge of the walk, but you have experience, and that guided you through. How does this relate to clinical practice? Well, you may not know exactly what it is in front of you, but you can learn as you go. Being honest about what you know in the first place (a long hike is probably not recommended for a virtual beginner), and being open to learning new things, and perhaps seeking guideance where necessary, are very important pillars of an ethical practitioner.