Glossary of Terms

Profession- a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to
supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation,
wholly apart from expectation of other business gain
Professionalism- the competence or skill expected of a professional
Ethics-is the branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts
of right and wrong conduct
Morals-a lesson, especially one concerning what is right or prudent, that can be derived from a story, a
piece of information, or an experience
Values-broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of action or outcomes
Relativism-concept that points of view have no absolute truth or validity within themselves, but they
only have relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration
Conscience-aptitude, faculty, intuition or judgment that assists in distinguishing right from wrong
Power-the ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality
Trust-reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence
Autonomy-freedom from external control or influence; independence
Beneficence-concept in research ethics which states that researchers should have the welfare of the
research participant as a goal of any clinical trial or other research study
Non-malfeasance-non-harming or inflicting the least harm possible to reach a beneficial outcome
Justice-just behaviour or treatment
Veracity-conformity to facts; accuracy
Confidentiality-he ethical principle or legal right that a physician or other health professional will hold
secret all information relating to a patient, unless the patient gives consent permitting disclosure
Fiduciary-a person who holds a legal or ethical relationship of trust with one or more other parties
Paternalism- behaviour by an organization or state which limits some person or group's liberty or
autonomy for what is presumed to be that person's or group's own good
Accountability-the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility
Compassion-sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others
Excellence-the quality of being outstanding or extremely good

Integrity-the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness
Boundary-a line that marks the limits of an area; a dividing line
Transference-phenomenon characterized by unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to
another
Conflict of Interest-a situation in which a person or organization is involved in multiple interests,
financial interest, or otherwise, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation of the individual or
organization
Conflict-a serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one
Professional Privilege-a rule of law protecting communications between legal practitioners and their
clients from disclosure under compulsion of court or statute
Social Obligations-ethical framework which suggests that an entity, be it an organization or individual,
has an obligation to act for the benefit of society at large