Clinical domain
Ethical Dilemmas
Ethical scenarios set two defensible principles against each other and ask which takes precedence. There is rarely an option with no cost; the test is whether you can identify which cost is the one to accept.
What makes these scenarios hard
Competing goods. Confidentiality against protection, honesty against kindness, the individual against the service. Answers that pretend there is no trade-off usually rank badly.
What a strong answer usually does
- Identify whose interests are in conflict before choosing. Naming the dilemma is half the work.
- Prefer the reversible action over the irreversible one when you are uncertain.
- Consult. Ethical decisions taken alone are harder to defend than the same decision taken with supervision.
- Document the reasoning, not just the outcome.
The standards behind it
- BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct — Respect, Competence, Responsibility, Integrity
- HCPC 1.4 — valid consent, voluntary and informed
- HCPC 9.1 — conduct that justifies public trust
- HCPC 10.1 — full, clear and accurate records
10 scenarios in this domain.
Practise Ethical Dilemmas