Ethical perspective on quality of care : the nature of ethical dilemmas identified by new graduate and experienced speech pathologists

Background: Speech pathologists are confronted by ethical issues when they need to make decisions about client care, address team conflict, and fulfil the range of duties and responsibilities required of health professionals. However, there has been little research into the specific nature of ethical dilemmas experienced by speech pathologists and whether the nature of ethical conflict changes as they acquire experience in the professional workforce. Speech pathologists’ perceptions of ethical issues provide insight into factors impacting upon quality of care in contemporary healthcare settings. Aims: To describe, compare, and contrast the nature of ethical dilemmas identified by new graduate and experienced speech pathologists. Methods & Procedures: A narrative methodology was used to explore the ethical dilemmas that participants experienced in the professional work place. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with ten new graduate and ten experienced speech pathologists in their work settings. During these interviews, participants were asked to ‘tell the story’ of ethical dilemmas they identified at work. Outcomes & Results: An ethical story was constructed for each participant based upon keywords and concepts from interview transcripts. These keywords and concepts were coded into group themes that reflected the nature of ethical dilemmas experienced by new graduate versus experienced speech pathologists. Comparing the results of thematic analysis for both groups of participant revealed similarities and differences in ethical dilemmas identified by new graduate and experienced health professionals.