Code of Ethics Violation: Veracity
Veracity is to provide accurate, comprehensive, and objective information (AOTA, 2015a). According to AOTA (2015a), a related standard to veracity is to refrain from reporting information that is false, fraudulent, or deceptive.
Why is it a violation? The CI is directly asking for the student to submit documents that they knowingly falsified.
Professional/Liability Issues: Insurance fraud, being reported to the OT board. If the student complies, they are risking their ability to become licensed.
Action to Resolve Violation: The student should tell the CI they are not comfortable completing the paperwork.
Issues for Consideration: The student may believe there will be negative consequences to their evaluation or relationship for telling the CI that they will not complete the task. This may cause the student to avoid confrontation.
Final Recommendation on Action: The student should contact the AWFC for support on dealing with the situation ethically and in a way that will be most beneficial to the student. If the student is not comfortable approaching the CI directly, the student could delay the task until the AWFC is available to help.
Why? The AWFC is charged with promoting an ethical and beneficial experience for students. In this situation, the university would need to be notified as well as the CI’s supervisor so that they are aware that documentation is not being completed with fidelity in a timely manner. This specific CI would need to be documented so that they do not host a student in the future, since they are not practicing according to AOTA’s Code of Ethics or Standards of Practice.