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Cpa Core Professional Values and Associated Behaviours

The document outlines 10 core professional values for physiotherapists in Canada: accountability, advocacy, altruism, client-centeredness, compassion, equity, excellence, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. For each value, examples of associated behaviors are provided. The list of values and behaviors was developed through consultation with over 1,000 physiotherapists in Canada.

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Akshay Badore
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25 views

Cpa Core Professional Values and Associated Behaviours

The document outlines 10 core professional values for physiotherapists in Canada: accountability, advocacy, altruism, client-centeredness, compassion, equity, excellence, integrity, respect, and social responsibility. For each value, examples of associated behaviors are provided. The list of values and behaviors was developed through consultation with over 1,000 physiotherapists in Canada.

Uploaded by

Akshay Badore
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Canadian Physiotherapy Association Core Professional Values and Associated Behaviours

A value is a “… belief that one accepts as one’s own and that determines behaviour.”1 Core values are at the
centre of professionalism and are ideally upheld by all members of the profession.2 They guide the decisions
we make and they determine the behaviours in which we engage as individuals and as a professional
organization.3

The list of core professional values and associated behaviours has been developed through feedback from
over 1,000 members of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) through a series of surveys, meetings,
and consultations. The list of associated behaviours is provided as examples of activities by which CPA
members can demonstrate they embody a specific value. The list of behaviours is not exhaustive and is not
presented in any specific order. Some associated behaviours may apply to more than one value as well.

This list of 10 core professional values and associated behaviours informs current and future practice.

1. Accountability - The acceptance of responsibility.


A CPA member demonstrates accountability when they:
▪ Engage in reflective practice
▪ Comply with the relevant professional code of ethical conduct, rules and regulations, legislation,
policies and procedures, and standards of practice
▪ Acknowledge errors and take appropriate actions
▪ Assumes ownership for their actions, inactions, words, and attitudes
▪ Engage in evidence-informed practice

2. Advocacy - The commitment to promote change that benefits the health of one’s clients* or society.
A CPA member demonstrates advocacy when they:
▪ Actively promote the best course of action for the client
▪ Facilitate the involvement of other health professionals that could benefit the client
▪ Actively promote changes to policies that will improve client or societal health
▪ Campaign for access and funding at the client and/or system level

3. Altruism - The unselfish concern for the wellbeing of one’s clients and others**
A CPA member demonstrates altruism when they:
▪ Act in the client’s best interest rather than with self-interest
▪ Willingly offer their time, energy, knowledge, and resources as indicated and as able
2

4. Client-Centredness – The provision of care that is respectful of, and responsive to, one’s clients’ preferences,
unique needs, and values.
A CPA member demonstrates client-centredness when they:
▪ Actively seek to understand the client’s perspective through respectful dialogue
▪ Set goals and identify an intervention plan in collaboration with the client
▪ Adapt their behaviour and practices in response to the client’s perspective and their contextual factors

5. Compassion - The concern and consideration for the pain, distress, or hardship of one’s clients and others.
A CPA member demonstrates compassion when they:
▪ Demonstrate empathy
▪ Engage in active listening
▪ Make concerted efforts to understand and address the client’s perspective and their contextual
factors

6. Equity – The commitment to supporting one’s clients to reach their full health potential.
A CPA member demonstrates equity when they:
▪ Endeavour to distribute time and resources according to the unique needs of the client
▪ Endeavour to tailor care to the unique needs of the client
▪ Strive to identify and address barriers to equity

7. Excellence - The commitment to the highest quality of professional practice.


A CPA member demonstrates excellence when they:
▪ Incorporate current evidence, knowledge, and theory in client assessment and care
▪ Challenge the status quo to improve care and service
▪ Engage in lifelong learning, reflective practice, and ongoing professional development
▪ Engage in activities to develop and share new knowledge

8. Integrity - The quality of being honest and applying defensible ethical and moral principles.
A CPA member demonstrates integrity when they:
▪ Abide by, and adhere to, the professional code of ethical conduct
▪ Are trustworthy and credible
▪ Provide care only when necessary

9. Respect - The demonstration of regard for all.


A CPA member demonstrates respect when they:
▪ Engage in reflective practice to identify and understand personal biases and how they influence
professional practice
▪ Honour the uniqueness of the client and others
▪ Seek to create a culturally safe environment where all feel welcome and respected
▪ Acknowledge the role and contributions of others
▪ Recognize the client’s autonomy
▪ Do not let personal judgements or opinions negatively impact the care they provide
3

10. Social Responsibility - The commitment to advancing societal health and wellness.
A CPA member demonstrates social responsibility when they:
▪ Seek to understand community, national, and worldwide issues and their impact on society’s health
▪ Engage in activities that promote changes to policies that improve health and wellness

Authors
Pat Miller, Vanina Dal Bello-Haas, and Chantal Lauzon on behalf of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association
February 11, 2020

Acknowledgement
We are grateful to the more than 1,000 CPA members from across the country who provided their input to the
development of this document through a series of surveys, meetings, and consultations that took place over a
four-year period (2016-2020). We also extend our thanks to Alana Boyczuk, Jamie Deloyer, Kyle Ferrigan, and
Kevin Muncaster whose student research project in the Master of Science (Physiotherapy) Program at
McMaster University was integral to this important professional initiative.4 Finally, we are grateful for the
input of Dr. Patty Thille, Dr. Judy King, Katie Gasparelli, and Dr. Jenny Setchell whose expertise and unique
perspectives helped to shape the final document. This initiative could not have been completed without the
Canadian Physiotherapy Association’s assistance and in-kind support.

Glossary
*Client: A client is a recipient of physiotherapy services, and may be an individual, family, group, organization,
community, or population. An individual client may be referred to as a patient. In some circumstances, a client
may be represented by their substitute decision maker, (Adopted from National Physiotherapy Advisory
Group. (2017). Competency Profile for Physiotherapists in Canada. Available at:
https://physiotherapy.ca/sites/default/files/competency_profile_final_en_0.pdf)

**Others: Others refers to individuals, other than the client, with whom the CPA member interacts. This can
include co-workers, other health care professionals, or members of society.

References:
1. Davis C. Patient practitioner interaction: an experiential manual for developing the art of health care.
5th ed. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK; 2011.
2. Kanny E. Core values and attitudes of occupational therapy practice. Am J Occup Ther. 1993;47:1085–
1086.
3. Dige M. Occupational therapy, professional development, and ethics. Scan J of Occup Ther.
2009;16:88–98.
4. Boyczuk AM, Deloyer JJ, Ferrigan KF, Muncaster KM, Dal Bello-Haas V, Miller PA. Results from a scoping
review and preliminary Canadian survey. Physiother Can. 2019; 71(2): 134-143.

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