A Credo Of Caring
“A value is defined as a belief or an ideal to which an individual is committed” (Kanny, 1993, p. 1). I live my life by one main value: treat others the way you, yourself would want to be treated. In doing this, I look at situations from another person’s perspective. The situations may range from working with disabled individuals, to holding the door for another person. Whatever the situation, no matter how insignificant it may seem, I think to myself, “what can I do to make that individual feel good?”. The important thing to remember is by listening and caring, you can greatly affect lives.
“ In the "helping professions" spiritual health has implied the development of a sense of meaning and purpose, a sense of unity of oneself with others, and an acceptance of a greater purpose or reality “( Desai, 1997, p.1) My spirituality has always been important to me. I do not attend church every Sunday, yet I have solid beliefs that have guided me throughout my life. My own spirituality is about a connection to a higher power and knowing my purpose on this earth. I always knew that caring for others was my purpose. I decided to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy because I have always wanted to help people. My mother always taught me to treat people how you would want to be treated; or how would you want your family to be treated in that situation? During my education thus far, I have come to realize “help” is seen in many different ways. Page 3 of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Standards states, “Beneficence includes all forms of action intended to benefit other persons. The term beneficence connotes acts of mercy, kindness, and charity (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009). Forms of beneficence typically include altruism, love, and humanity. Beneficence requires taking action by helping others, in other words, by promoting good, by preventing harm, and by removing harm.” To me, beneficence is the key component to helping. Some individuals may want hands on help; others may want help to become independent so that they can then live without the help from others. It will be my job as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant to get to know the individuals and remember that each one has different beliefs and values. It will be my job to listen to the individual I am working with to gain insight on what is important to them.
Helping others was always a value in my life. I have come to realize through my spirituality and through my Occupational Therapy education, helping can mean different things to different people. As a therapist, it will be my job to care, to listen, then to help. In doing this I will gain a greater perspective on the values of the individuals I work with and learn the best ways to support and help them.
References
Desai, Fethia. (1997). The Real Meaning of Spirituality in OT.
Advance For Occupational Therapists.
Kanny, Elizabeth. (1993). Core Values and Attitudes Of Occupational Therapy Practice.
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Volume 47.
Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards. (2010).
Retrieved from http://www.aota.org/Consumers/Ethics/39880.aspx?FT=.pdf
“ In the "helping professions" spiritual health has implied the development of a sense of meaning and purpose, a sense of unity of oneself with others, and an acceptance of a greater purpose or reality “( Desai, 1997, p.1) My spirituality has always been important to me. I do not attend church every Sunday, yet I have solid beliefs that have guided me throughout my life. My own spirituality is about a connection to a higher power and knowing my purpose on this earth. I always knew that caring for others was my purpose. I decided to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy because I have always wanted to help people. My mother always taught me to treat people how you would want to be treated; or how would you want your family to be treated in that situation? During my education thus far, I have come to realize “help” is seen in many different ways. Page 3 of the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Standards states, “Beneficence includes all forms of action intended to benefit other persons. The term beneficence connotes acts of mercy, kindness, and charity (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009). Forms of beneficence typically include altruism, love, and humanity. Beneficence requires taking action by helping others, in other words, by promoting good, by preventing harm, and by removing harm.” To me, beneficence is the key component to helping. Some individuals may want hands on help; others may want help to become independent so that they can then live without the help from others. It will be my job as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant to get to know the individuals and remember that each one has different beliefs and values. It will be my job to listen to the individual I am working with to gain insight on what is important to them.
Helping others was always a value in my life. I have come to realize through my spirituality and through my Occupational Therapy education, helping can mean different things to different people. As a therapist, it will be my job to care, to listen, then to help. In doing this I will gain a greater perspective on the values of the individuals I work with and learn the best ways to support and help them.
References
Desai, Fethia. (1997). The Real Meaning of Spirituality in OT.
Advance For Occupational Therapists.
Kanny, Elizabeth. (1993). Core Values and Attitudes Of Occupational Therapy Practice.
The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Volume 47.
Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics and Ethics Standards. (2010).
Retrieved from http://www.aota.org/Consumers/Ethics/39880.aspx?FT=.pdf
