Professional courtesy

Last updated

Professional courtesy generally refers to the etiquette extended between members of the same profession. The concept of professional courtesy is believed to have originated within the ancient practice of medicine whereby physicians provided services to other physicians without charge. However, the philosophy does not necessarily involve the same courtesy across all professions, nor is professional courtesy a mandated privilege, but is freely given at the discretion of the party extending the courtesy. [1]

Contents

While the etiquette is not limited to physicians, the medical profession is likely the oldest and best-known one for having such a longstanding practice among its members. Some other well-known groups that have some form of professional courtesy are attorneys, performing artists, and law enforcement officers.

Within the law enforcement community, the term is used as a euphemism for criminal corruption and racketeering within police departments. [2]

The phrase may also describe the ethical conduct of lawyers towards each other. [3] A well-known American joke, versions of which date to the 1870s, revolves around sharks or wolves extending (or not extending) "professional courtesy" to lawyers. [4]

In medicine

In 1803, Thomas Percival wrote a classic essay on medical ethics that endorsed complimentary professional care to “All members of the profession, including apothecaries as well as physicians and surgeons, together with their wives and children, should be attended gratuitously.” In 1847, the American Medical Association's Code of Ethics similarly endorsed waiving charges for services to other physicians and their families, [5] This is likely the first modern-day documentation of the philosophy.

Among physicians it has been historically traditional to provide medical care at no or reduced cost to physician colleagues and their immediate family members. [6] The original purpose of this practice was to discourage physicians from treating themselves and members of their own family. [5] The custom dates back to Hippocrates, [7] well before physicians had attained middle-class incomes. [5] Though, in the United Kingdom for example, there is no law against doctors treating family members a bonus of this is that it avoids questions of objectivity and the danger of emotional attachment colouring assessment and treatment. [8] However, physicians regularly providing free or reduced rate services as professional courtesy must remain mindful in an age of copays, insurance-only billing, and referrals, as the practice can run afoul of the law under some circumstances [9] or redundant in countries which offer universal healthcare.

In 1994, the American Medical Association issued a Code of Medical Ethics Opinion advising that free-of-charge and reduced rate services were not an ethical requirement, and that physicians should use their own judgment when deciding to extend such professional courtesy. [10]

In law enforcement

The term has been used to refer to the practice by law enforcement officers allowing other officers to engage in traffic violations and some crimes without being reported or arrested.

Some US states (such as California) issue confidential license plates to employees in law enforcement, and other public officials. The plates keep identities and addresses anonymous, allowing employees the inadvertent ability to travel on tollways without charge. [11] Even serious offenses such as drunk driving are subject to professional courtesy discretion, and federal law assists in the process by exempting police officers and firefighters from a federal law that requires truck drivers to be blood-tested after an accident. [12]

Some police unions offer law enforcement employees the purchase of a courtesy card that they can give to friends and family to produce at a traffic stop to identify them as a family member. [13] Critics of the ethical actions of police officers purport that where an ordinary member of the public would get a ticket, this notification card will lead the officer to overlook any violations of the law the person may have made and tell them to go on their way. [14]

In theater

Until the 1960s, it was customary for theater management to admit members of Actors Equity and other members of the profession to Broadway shows for free. This practice continues in the Off-Off-Broadway world, where members of Equity must be admitted free of charge to any Showcase production in which there is a member of the union in the cast if there are seats left at curtain time. [15] This applies as well to bona fide producers, directors, and casting directors, who do not have to wait until showtime to be seated.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor (title)</span> Academic title for a holder of a doctoral degree

Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, when the first doctorates were awarded at the University of Bologna and the University of Paris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Profession</span> Vocation founded upon specialized educational training

A profession is a field of work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are accepted by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognised body of learning derived from research, education and training at a high level, and who are prepared to apply this knowledge and exercise these skills in the interest of others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippocratic Oath</span> Oath of ethics taken by physicians

The Hippocratic Oath is an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. In its original form, it requires a new physician to swear, by a number of healing gods, to uphold specific ethical standards. The oath is the earliest expression of medical ethics in the Western world, establishing several principles of medical ethics which remain of paramount significance today. These include the principles of medical confidentiality and non-maleficence. As the seminal articulation of certain principles that continue to guide and inform medical practice, the ancient text is of more than historic and symbolic value. It is enshrined in the legal statutes of various jurisdictions, such that violations of the oath may carry criminal or other liability beyond the oath's symbolic nature.

Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of business ethics, codes of conduct for employees, and codes of professional practice.

Medical ethics is an applied branch of ethics which analyzes the practice of clinical medicine and related scientific research. Medical ethics is based on a set of values that professionals can refer to in the case of any confusion or conflict. These values include the respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice. Such tenets may allow doctors, care providers, and families to create a treatment plan and work towards the same common goal. It is important to note that these four values are not ranked in order of importance or relevance and that they all encompass values pertaining to medical ethics. However, a conflict may arise leading to the need for hierarchy in an ethical system, such that some moral elements overrule others with the purpose of applying the best moral judgement to a difficult medical situation. Medical ethics is particularly relevant in decisions regarding involuntary treatment and involuntary commitment.

This index of ethics articles puts articles relevant to well-known ethical debates and decisions in one place - including practical problems long known in philosophy, and the more abstract subjects in law, politics, and some professions and sciences. It lists also those core concepts essential to understanding ethics as applied in various religions, some movements derived from religions, and religions discussed as if they were a theory of ethics making no special claim to divine status.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional</span> Person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks

A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their specific role within that profession. In addition, most professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct, enshrining rigorous ethical and moral obligations. Professional standards of practice and ethics for a particular field are typically agreed upon and maintained through widely recognized professional associations, such as the IEEE. Some definitions of "professional" limit this term to those professions that serve some important aspect of public interest and the general good of society.

Legal ethics are principles of conduct that members of the legal profession are expected to observe in their practice. They are an outgrowth of the development of the legal profession itself.

Software engineering professionalism is a movement to make software engineering a profession, with aspects such as degree and certification programs, professional associations, professional ethics, and government licensing. The field is a licensed discipline in Texas in the United States, Engineers Australia(Course Accreditation since 2001, not Licensing), and many provinces in Davao.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional ethics</span> Principles and rules which guide professional activity

Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals.

Professional responsibility is a set of duties within the concept of professional ethics for those who exercise a unique set of knowledge and skill as professionals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawyers in Poland</span>

In Poland, any person holding a Magister's degree in law is called a "jurist" or "lawyer". According to Polish legal doctrine, a lawyer should be understood as a person who graduated from law school with the aforementioned degree, even if such a person does not practice law after graduation.

Industry self-regulation is the process whereby members of an industry, trade or sector of the economy monitor their own adherence to legal, ethical, or safety standards, rather than have an outside, independent agency such as a third party entity or governmental regulator monitor and enforce those standards. Self-regulation may ease compliance and ownership of standards, but it can also give rise to conflicts of interest. If any organization, such as a corporation or government bureaucracy, is asked to eliminate unethical behavior within their own group, it may be in their interest in the short run to eliminate the appearance of unethical behavior, rather than the behavior itself, by keeping any ethical breaches hidden, instead of exposing and correcting them. An exception occurs when the ethical breach is already known by the public. In that case, it could be in the group's interest to end the ethical problem to which the public has knowledge, but keep remaining breaches hidden. Another exception would occur in industry sectors with varied membership, such as international brands together with small and medium size companies where the brand owners would have an interest to protect the joint sector reputation by issuing together self-regulation so as to avoid smaller companies with less resources causing damage out of ignorance. Similarly, the reliability of a professional group such as lawyers and journalists could make ethical rules work satisfactorily as a self-regulation if they were a pre-condition for adherence of new members.

Engineering ethics is the field of system of moral principles that apply to the practice of engineering. The field examines and sets the obligations by engineers to society, to their clients, and to the profession. As a scholarly discipline, it is closely related to subjects such as the philosophy of science, the philosophy of engineering, and the ethics of technology.

Professionalization or professionalisation is a social process by which any trade or occupation transforms itself into a true "profession of the highest integrity and competence." The definition of what constitutes a profession is often contested. Professionalization tends to result in establishing acceptable qualifications, one or more professional associations to recommend best practice and to oversee the conduct of members of the profession, and some degree of demarcation of the qualified from unqualified amateurs. It is also likely to create "occupational closure", closing the profession to entry from outsiders, amateurs and the unqualified.

Participation of medical professionals in American executions is a controversial topic, due to its moral and legal implications. The practice is proscribed by the American Medical Association, as defined in its Code of Medical Ethics. The American Society of Anesthesiologists endorses this position, stating that lethal injections "can never conform to the science, art and practice of anesthesiology".

Practicing without a license is the act of working without the licensure offered for that occupation, in a particular jurisdiction. Most activities that require licensure also have penalties for practicing without a valid, current license. In some jurisdictions, a license is offered but not required for some professions.

Various organizations of practicing chiropractors have outlined formal codes of professional ethics. Actual practice has revealed a wide range of behaviors which may or may not conform to these standards.

Criminal justice ethics is the academic study of ethics as it is applied in the area of law enforcement. Usually, a course in ethics is required of candidates for hiring as law enforcement officials. These courses focus on subject matter which is primarily guided by the needs of social institutions and societal values. Law enforcement agencies operate according to established police practices and ethical guidelines consistent with community standards in order to maintain public trust while performing their responsibilities.

The CMA Code of Ethics and Professionalism (Code) is a document produced by the Canadian Medical Association. The Code articulates the ethical and professional commitments and responsibilities of the medical profession in Canada.

References

  1. ↑ McVay, Jerold A. (2012-04-22). "Professional Courtesy Ethics in Policing" (PDF). Crim. Justice Institute. Univ. of Arkansas.
  2. ↑ NJ.com, Tim Darragh | NJ Advance Media for (April 6, 2015). "How police departments tackle the hidden problem of cops driving drunk". nj.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ "Code of Professional Courtesy". Kentucky Bar Association. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  4. ↑ Popik, Barry. ""Professional courtesy" (lawyer joke)" . Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Jones, James; McCullough, Laurence; Richman, Bruce (2004-05-01). "Ethics of Professional Courtesy". Journal of Vascular Surgery. 39 (5): 1140–1141. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2004.01.035 . PMID   15111876.
  6. ↑ "AMA Code of Medical Ethics, E-6.13, Professional Courtesy" . Retrieved 2013-05-30.
  7. ↑ Rathbun, Katharine C., M.D.; Richards, Edward P. III, J.D.; Professional Courtesy; Missouri Medicine; 1998;95:18-20; (on-line).
  8. ↑ "Weigh up the risks and benefits before treating members of your family".
  9. ↑ "Professional Courtesy Problems - Hawley Troxell - Health Law". Hawley Troxell - Health Law. 2011. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  10. ↑ "Code of Medical Ethics Opinion 6.13 - Professional Courtesy". American Medical Association. 1994-06-01. Retrieved 2016-06-19.
  11. ↑ "Special license plates shield officials from traffic tickets". ocregister.com. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  12. ↑ Nalder, Eric; Kamb, Lewis; Investigative, P-I (2007-08-05). "A broken system works in favor of cops busted for DUI". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
  13. ↑ Manahan, Kevin (2012-05-20). "PBA cards: Do they work and should they?". NJ Advance Media. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  14. ↑ "Professional Courtesy". NJLawman.com. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  15. ↑ "Actors' Equity Association". www.actorsequity.org.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.