Page 208 |
Previous | 223 of 437 | Next |
|
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
Loading content ...
A HEALING HAND FOR PHYSICIAN MPAIRMENT A Case of Professional Sexual Misconduct Anonymous Physicians who commit sexual misconduct must be able to get help. These physicians are impaired. Treatment for professional sexual misconduct exists and can be effective. Close attention to the described sexual misbehavior and its antecedents enables designated observers to recognize early behavior well before sexual acting-out occurs. This can ensure the safety of patients, staff, and the physician. Nevertheless, questions remain: Can physicians who have been seated for professional sexual misconduct retum safely to the practice of medicine without risking further harmful incidents to patients? In this paper I discuss the development of a safe practice plan for a psychiatrist (myselO who had sexual contact with female patients and female staff. It is widely recognized that sexual contact between physicians (or other health care professionals) and their patients is unethical, harmful, and cannot be undertaken with full consent (on the part of the patient).'"* Such contact is banned because it is likely to harm the patient's care and the patient. Ninety percent of patients subjected to such abuse have had some harm done.' Boundary violations occur when a physician places his desires above the patient's needs. Similar violations occur in relationships involving employees, students, and supervisees.' An ethical "gray area" exists, unfortunately, in regard to relationships with former patients. Separate surveys indicate that 30% of psychiau^ists and 35% of psychologists feel diat intimate contact is acceptable after terminadon of therapy.''^ Because there is uncertainty, the absolute prohibition of sexual contact with padents during or following U-eatmcnt has been proposed.'' I strongly believe that any and all relationships and contact widi padents and former patients ought to be prohibited. The author of this piece wishes to remain anonymous. Direct any questions to the Jouma/Editor. More than 50% of all psychiau-ists have treated or will treat a padent who at some time was sexually involved with a previous therapist.* Several surveys of psychiatrists and diera-pists indicate that 5%-13% acknowledge having engaged in sexual behavior widi dieir patients. The percentages for other medical specialdes (ob-gyn, surgery, intemists, family practice), psychologists, and social workers are comparable.^'*'' The psychological impact was the same whether women had sexual contact widi therapists (including psychiadists) or with other health practitioners (mainly nonpsychiau-ists).'" Given diat such surveys depend on the self-disclosure of unethical behavior (with its professional and legal repercussions), these data must be considered conservative. What Leads to Sexual Misbehavior? The boundary between professional and unprofessional behavior is not always disdnct, and boundary violations often develop long before actual sexual behavior begins. Ninety-six percent of male psychiatrists have at some time been sexually attracted to a patient." Feelings of affection may be elicited in medicine by die caring conversation, and by the listening. Listening to odiers and being concemed about dieir welfare may, if we are less than aware, lead us to misconsu-ue our feelings as die magic aura of love. Professional restfaints may falter under a variety of influences. Misbehavior is a complex phenomenon, rarely caused by a single factor. A number of papers have examined and categorized die types of behaviors of physician-offenders. I present here a summary of several different schemes of classification. Each is unique, but a sense of commonality emerges. Probably all contain elements of trudi. Borys and Pope describe dierapists-in-training as unlikely to disclose dieir sexual impulses for fear of being labeled "seductive" and advised to change professions.' Rieker and Carmen note that residents rarely discuss sexual counter- dans-ference feelings during supervision.*''^ Training programs do not provide an audieniically safe and supporu ve environment in 208 NCMJ Julyl August 1996, Volume 57 Number 4
Object Description
Rating | |
Fixed Title * | NCHH-17: North Carolina Medical Journal [1940-2001] |
Document Title | North Carolina Medical Journal [1940-2001] |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- Periodicals.; Physicians -- North Carolina -- Directory.; Societies, Medical -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Description | Includes Transactions of the Society, -1960; 1961- , Transactions issued separately, bound in.; Includes Transactions of the auxiliary to the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina and Proceedings of the North Carolina Public Health Association. Official organ of the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina, 1940-May 1972; of the North Carolina Medical Society, June 1972-. Vols. for 1940-May 1972 published by the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina; June 1972- by the North Carolina Medical Society. |
Contributor | Medical Society of the State of North Carolina. Transactions.; Medical Society of the State of North Carolina.; North Carolina Medical Society.; North Carolina Medical Society. Transactions.; North Carolina Public Health Association. Proceedings. |
Publisher | [Winston-Salem] : North Carolina Medical Society [etc.], 1940- |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1996 |
Identifier | NCHH-17-057 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Language | English |
Rights | Rights Statement |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | This collection is supported with federal Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) funds made possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources through the North Carolina ECHO, 'Exploring Cultural Heritage Online' Digitization Grant Program (North Carolina History of Health Digital Library). |
Volume Number | 57 |
Health Discipline | Medicine |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-17/nchh-17-057.pdf |
Document Sort | all; nchh-17 |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-17-057 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-17 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1306322 |
Description
Fixed Title * | Page 208 |
Document Title | North Carolina Medical Journal [1940-2001] |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- Periodicals.; Physicians -- North Carolina -- Directory.; Societies, Medical -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Description | Includes Transactions of the Society, -1960; 1961- , Transactions issued separately, bound in.; Includes Transactions of the auxiliary to the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina and Proceedings of the North Carolina Public Health Association. Official organ of the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina, 1940-May 1972; of the North Carolina Medical Society, June 1972-. Vols. for 1940-May 1972 published by the Medical Society of the State of North Carolina; June 1972- by the North Carolina Medical Society. |
Contributor | Medical Society of the State of North Carolina. Transactions.; Medical Society of the State of North Carolina.; North Carolina Medical Society.; North Carolina Medical Society. Transactions.; North Carolina Public Health Association. Proceedings. |
Publisher | [Winston-Salem] : North Carolina Medical Society [etc.], 1940- |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1996 |
Identifier | NCHH-17-057-0228 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Page Type | all; article; article title |
Language | English |
Rights | Rights Statement |
Filename | ncmed571996medi_0228.jp2 |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | This collection is supported with federal Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA) funds made possible through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources through the North Carolina ECHO, 'Exploring Cultural Heritage Online' Digitization Grant Program (North Carolina History of Health Digital Library). |
Volume Number | 57 |
Issue Number | 4 |
Page Number | 208 |
Health Discipline | Medicine |
Full Text | A HEALING HAND FOR PHYSICIAN MPAIRMENT A Case of Professional Sexual Misconduct Anonymous Physicians who commit sexual misconduct must be able to get help. These physicians are impaired. Treatment for professional sexual misconduct exists and can be effective. Close attention to the described sexual misbehavior and its antecedents enables designated observers to recognize early behavior well before sexual acting-out occurs. This can ensure the safety of patients, staff, and the physician. Nevertheless, questions remain: Can physicians who have been seated for professional sexual misconduct retum safely to the practice of medicine without risking further harmful incidents to patients? In this paper I discuss the development of a safe practice plan for a psychiatrist (myselO who had sexual contact with female patients and female staff. It is widely recognized that sexual contact between physicians (or other health care professionals) and their patients is unethical, harmful, and cannot be undertaken with full consent (on the part of the patient).'"* Such contact is banned because it is likely to harm the patient's care and the patient. Ninety percent of patients subjected to such abuse have had some harm done.' Boundary violations occur when a physician places his desires above the patient's needs. Similar violations occur in relationships involving employees, students, and supervisees.' An ethical "gray area" exists, unfortunately, in regard to relationships with former patients. Separate surveys indicate that 30% of psychiau^ists and 35% of psychologists feel diat intimate contact is acceptable after terminadon of therapy.''^ Because there is uncertainty, the absolute prohibition of sexual contact with padents during or following U-eatmcnt has been proposed.'' I strongly believe that any and all relationships and contact widi padents and former patients ought to be prohibited. The author of this piece wishes to remain anonymous. Direct any questions to the Jouma/Editor. More than 50% of all psychiau-ists have treated or will treat a padent who at some time was sexually involved with a previous therapist.* Several surveys of psychiatrists and diera-pists indicate that 5%-13% acknowledge having engaged in sexual behavior widi dieir patients. The percentages for other medical specialdes (ob-gyn, surgery, intemists, family practice), psychologists, and social workers are comparable.^'*'' The psychological impact was the same whether women had sexual contact widi therapists (including psychiadists) or with other health practitioners (mainly nonpsychiau-ists).'" Given diat such surveys depend on the self-disclosure of unethical behavior (with its professional and legal repercussions), these data must be considered conservative. What Leads to Sexual Misbehavior? The boundary between professional and unprofessional behavior is not always disdnct, and boundary violations often develop long before actual sexual behavior begins. Ninety-six percent of male psychiatrists have at some time been sexually attracted to a patient." Feelings of affection may be elicited in medicine by die caring conversation, and by the listening. Listening to odiers and being concemed about dieir welfare may, if we are less than aware, lead us to misconsu-ue our feelings as die magic aura of love. Professional restfaints may falter under a variety of influences. Misbehavior is a complex phenomenon, rarely caused by a single factor. A number of papers have examined and categorized die types of behaviors of physician-offenders. I present here a summary of several different schemes of classification. Each is unique, but a sense of commonality emerges. Probably all contain elements of trudi. Borys and Pope describe dierapists-in-training as unlikely to disclose dieir sexual impulses for fear of being labeled "seductive" and advised to change professions.' Rieker and Carmen note that residents rarely discuss sexual counter- dans-ference feelings during supervision.*''^ Training programs do not provide an audieniically safe and supporu ve environment in 208 NCMJ Julyl August 1996, Volume 57 Number 4 |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-17/nchh-17-057.pdf |
Document Sort | all; nchh-17 |
Article Title | A Case Of Professional Sexual Misconduct |
Article Author | Anonymous |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-17-057 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-17 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1306322 |
Tags
Comments
Post a Comment for Page 208