Ethics for Occupational Therapists

Ethics for Occupational Therapists is a 3-hour online continuing education (CE/CEU) course that teaches OTs how to address ethical and moral dilemmas in practice.

Ethical issues in occupational therapy can arise in various settings, including practice, research, education, and policy. Occupational therapists are responsible for promoting inclusion, participation, safety, and well-being for all recipients of service. They must also empower all beneficiaries of service to meet their occupational needs. Common ethical dilemmas include ineffective treatment, unethical/incompetent colleagues, priorities in treatment, causing pain and discomfort, treating patients despite refusal, and misleading the patient and confidentiality. These dilemmas require occupational therapists to adhere to the principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Ethical dilemmas in occupational therapy can be a struggle due to competing allegiances to the OT’s values, clients, colleagues, employers, and regulatory bodies. Accordingly, OT’s decisions can have long-range effects professionally and personally, not only for the OT, but for patients, clients, healthcare entities, and society at large. How and why does one decision win out over another? What constitutes the decision-making process? How do decisions impact those involved?

OTs are engaged in an “ethic of care,” where activities of daily living are not just a function, but also an expression of values. Helping people maintain their maximum possible functioning is seen in relation to society and the common good of all persons. This is an abstract ideal that must be put into practice in an imperfect world. How does the OT make decisions about what is best for the person when there are difficult choices to make?

This course starts with a review the Core Values, Principles, and Standards of Conduct in the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) 2025 Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics. It then provides ethical considerations, common ethical issues OTs face, and the steps involved in the ethical decision-making process. Case examples and ethical scenarios are included throughout to assist OTs in applying the principles to practice.

Outline

• Introduction
• Section 1: AOTA Code of Ethics
• Section 2: Core Values and Principles
• Section 3: Standards of Conduct
• Section 4: Ethical Considerations
• Section 5: Ethical Decision-Making
• Section 6: Application and Ethical Scenarios
• Conclusion

Course #31-65 | 2026 | 51 pages | 20 posttest questions | Mobile-Friendly

1. Describe two purposes of the AOTA Code of Ethics
2. Explain the eight core values and six principles of the Code
3. List the six enforceable standards of conduct in the Code
4. Identify five ethical considerations in the decision-making process
5. Illustrate six steps in the decision-making process for solving ethical dilemmas
6. Assess ethically complex scenarios and apply principles to resolve them

This online course provides instant access to the course materials (PDF download) and CE test. The course is text-based (reading) and the CE test is open-book (you can print the test to mark your answers on it while reading the course document).

Successful completion of this course involves passing an online test (80% required, 3 chances to take) and we ask that you also complete a brief course evaluation.