Book Description

"This new edition of Professional Ethics in Athletic Training provides a framework for understanding and applying ethical principles across the career span of an athletic training professional. As a professional textbook, this book is intended for use in accredited, professional athletic training programs to do the following: Provide a strong theoretical and practical foundation for defining and understanding professional ethics. The professional obligation of the athletic trainer is defined with comprehensive insight regarding the definition of a profession, upholding the social contract with society as a professional, and the unique values and obligations that guide our professional behaviors while infusing ethical constructs for consideration. Through an awakening process, a rich description of integrity is provided as the underlying element of professional practice. Practicing with integrity is introduced and applied through discussion of theory and development of the constructs of character and moral courage. Define the multiple components of practicing with integrity throughout the career path of an athletic trainer through individual consideration at each level of professional development as an athletic training professional. Preprofessional students are in a unique situation as they transition into the academic and clinical athletic training programs. These students require a strong foundation in the ethical considerations of the profession as well as a comprehensive insight into the potential ethical (and legal) dilemmas associated with the practice of athletic training. By clarifying values and understanding academic and clinical practice regulations, the preprofessional student is guided to embark upon the practice of athletic training. Professional students are in the evolutionary process of practicing with integrity and lend a comprehensive approach to ethical decision making and professional responsibility. Professional ethics provide the foundation for professional students to emerge from academic programs with sound, responsible reasoning to facilitate ethical courses of action and decisions. Young professionals are faced with incredible practice challenges as they transition to independent clinical practice. Workplace influences can provide great challenges for young professionals, so a solid framework for understanding the importance of practicing with integrity and potential implications of straying from one's moral compass are addressed. Introduce and encourage ethical leadership as a fundamental element of professionalism and encourage athletic trainers to commit to a lifetime of leading with integrity throughout their professional careers. Addressing the leadership crisis in health care contextualizes the role of athletic training in the larger construct of health care while providing a comprehensive overview of athletic training leadership opportunities and impact. Character development to promote leadership with integrity is addressed through a rich discussion of leadership styles, traits, and behaviors. As athletic trainers, understanding the essence of ethical leadership in the context of the greater health care system is instrumental to making strong ethical decisions throughout one's career. Leaders are faced with challenges on a regular basis, and leading with integrity through crisis is critically important. Tests of leadership are addressed to promote self-discovery and facilitate leadership development among constituents within the organization to promote participative leadership and strong leadership involvement within the profession of athletic training. Ethical leadership needs strong foundational models upon which to anchor professional behaviors and decisions. Multiple ethical decision-making models are presented to guide athletic trainers through a lifetime of ethical leadership, to develop a strong professional leadership plan, and to establish the confidence needed in ethical decision making to ultimately practice and lead with integrity. Educational settings and scholars within the profession of athletic training face unique challenges. As athletic trainers fulfill the multiple roles in the academy, understanding the potential ethical dilemmas that could emerge, as well as the obligation to pay it forward as an ethical leader, is emphasized"--