Beth is an occupational therapy student in her 11th week of her 1st Level II Fieldwork. She has a full caseload of her own that she is responsible for on a daily basis. Her fieldwork educator, Corinne, has a few patients that she sees on her own, without Beth in the room. At the end of the day, Corinne states that she has to leave early that day and asks Beth to write all the treatment notes, even for those clients that Beth did not see.
Corinne states that she wrote down what she did with each client, and Beth can base her notes on that. Corinne will then sign the notes the next morning. When Beth says she is not comfortable writing the notes, Corinne states that no one will ever know that Beth wrote them, and if anyone asks, to just lie.
Beneficence: Occupational therapy personnel shall demonstrate a concern for the well-being and safety
of the recipients of their services.
Liability: The CI demonstrates that she does not have the safety and wellbeing of her patients in mind as she falsify documentation and treatment plans.
Solution: Talk to the CI and make sure everything is okay and maybe ask why she's in such a rush so that a plan can be figured out that does not violate the code of ethics.
Moving Forward: If the situation becomes chronic, report the CI.
Fidelity: Occupational therapy personnel shall treat clients, colleagues, and other professionals with
respect, fairness, discretion, and integrity.
Liability: Treating the patient with notes written by a student that has not even evaluated or met the patient.
Solution: Talk to the CI and ask her the normal protocol for treating patients based on notes that are inaccurate.
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Veracity: Occupational therapy personnel shall provide comprehensive, accurate, and objective information when representing the profession.
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Moving Forward
Do not falsify the documents, and explain to the CI that you will not be committing fraud, and what it know that if the situation keeps happening that she be reported.
Liability
The client's note would have been falsely documented, by an unlicensed student, which is medical fraud and not accurate information.
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