Dialogues between the teaching of ethics and ethical issues faced by Occupational Therapists

Abstract

Human care professionals need formation that assists them in the identification and answering of ethical issues. The aim is to contribute for the improvement of ethics' teaching in Occupational Therapy at USP-SP. Exploratory and descriptive studies were conducted. Qualitative-natured information was obtained through an non-presential, open-ended questionnaire taken by this major's professors and graduate occupational therapists. The professors informed about ethical content in subjects under their responsibility, and the graduate occupational therapists talked about what ethical issues they have faced and what are the major's possible contributions to obtaining answers. A dialogue was established between the information obtained. The Professional Ethics discipline as well as some other subjects, specially practice disciplines, have contributed for an ethical formation. The survey's participants point to the importance of ethics' teaching throughout the formation and the creation of dialogue room. None have mentioned reduced autonomy as an ethical issue. The participants' pointers constitute as material to be considered for the improvement of ethical formation of the occupational therapist at USP.