Principles of conduct
The health-related professions are proud of their traditional reputation for honesty and integrity. These virtues are essential for each member of the health-related professions if these professions are to continue to maintain their position of trust within our society. The establishment of codes of ethics, peer review committees, ethics committees, and other regulatory and/or advisory groups within the profession indicates a vital and continuing concern with maintaining high standards of integrity in the health-related professions.
Loma Linda University is a place where the professionals of tomorrow are selected and trained in the development of professional and ethical attitudes which are consistent with the highest goals of the health-related professions. It is for this purpose that the University articulates principles of conduct. These principles provide a means of educating and training future health-related professionals in areas of professional ethical activity, and are intended to aid in developing an ethical and moral awareness which will help the individual serve the public and the professions in an enlightened manner. In addition, the University seeks to broaden students' ethical perspectives by including a religious perspective not always found in ethical codes. By adding a spiritual foundation to the profession's ethical framework, it is anticipated that the professional's ethic will be a more completely informed ethic, one which not only reflects a proper concern for our fellow human beings, but one which also reflects an intimate relationship with our Creator and God.
These principles, as written, contain specific admonitions which are limited in number but are more comprehensive in principle. It is anticipated that values of honesty, integrity, and altruism will be enhanced by the student during his/her professional training so that following graduation, these virtues will be second nature in the professional service he/she provides. Thus, the relationship of trust between health-related professional and patient can develop so as to benefit both the profession and the public. This is a goal Loma Linda University feels it must meet as it seeks to train its students to become competent in all aspects of patient care.
Students must strive to conduct themselves at all times in a manner representative of their profession and school. Students share responsibility for maintaining an environment conducive to learning. Any activity which interferes with the learning processes vital to the practice of the chosen profession or which violates the integrity of the profession as a whole is not acceptable. Respect for oneself, patients, peers, and for the institution must be preserved at all times.
The following list is illustrative of the type of conduct which violates the University's expectation for student conduct and is cause for discipline up to and including dismissal. It is not an exhaustive or all-inclusive list, but is stated here for purposes of illustration.
1. Refusal or failure to remediate documented unsatisfactory performance.
2. Disrespect for individual and University property including theft and vandalism.
3. Failure to respect individual rights. This includes (a) physically or verbally abusing any person or engaging in conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of others; (b) obstructing or disrupting the study of others; the performance of official duties by University personnel; teaching, research, disciplinary, administrative, or other functions of the University, or other authorized activities on University premises; and (c) slander and libel.
4. Personal conduct which is incompatible with the standards of morality and propriety of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
5. Overt disharmony, subversion, or violation of the philosophy, objectives, and policies of the University, including those delineated in this Handbook.
6. Gambling or betting.
7. Failure to obey, honor, and sustain civil law.
8. Patient abuse.
Professional ethics and the Christian understanding of the value and importance of all persons, should be reflected in the relationships students develop with each of their patients. While clinical activities will rightfully be focused on learning, the patient's needs should always be the primary concern. Any activity which places the needs of the clinic student ahead of the needs of the patient is not acceptable. Altruism must be learned and practiced from the earliest moment of the student's program and reinforced in all aspects of the professional training.
The well-being of patients subject to our care should always be of highest concern and patient abuse will not be tolerated. Patient abuse includes any behavior or act which might jeopardize the health or well-being of a patient. Examples of patient abuse include but are not limited to:
a) unsupervised and/or unauthorized treatment of a patient;
b) treating a patient while the student is under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
c) failure to comply with clinic policies regarding patient treatment and financial arrangements;
d) failure to comply with accepted protocols for infection control or transmission of disease;
e) refusal to properly treat any patient for reasons of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, financial status, handicap, or disability;
f) failure to report an observed incidence of patient abuse by fellow students;
g) offering or asking for financial inducements related to the use of patients during State or Regional Board Examinations;
h) patient abandonment; and
i) a breach of confidentiality as required by law or University policy concerning patient records or data, research data, or University procedures in which the participants are promised confidentiality.
9. Violation of the alcohol and tobacco policy, drug-free worksite policy,
research misconduct policy, computer abuse policy, sexual standards policy, sex
discrimination policy, policy prohibiting sexual harassment, weapons possession
policy, or other policies of the University.
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