Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You do not do the scaling.
You are very upset. You understand that if you do the scaling, you could
lose your license if the licensing body finds out. You also understand that
you are breaking the code of ethics if you do it. When you were in school,
your instructor told you that dental assistants must be good team players.
They have to think of the whole dental team and not just of themselves. "If
I don't do the scaling, that makes me a poor team player," you think to yourself.
"But if I do it, I am breaking the law and my code of ethics."
Also, you're worried you might not to do a good job of the
scaling, since you weren't specifically trained for it.
You are nervous, but you decide that you will not do the scaling. You
explain again to the dentist that your licensing does not permit you to do
this work. You also explain to him about the code of ethics.
The dentist is not pleased with you. He tells Emily to reschedule and he
stomps off.
That night, you phone your professional association and tell them what
happened. The woman on the phone assures you that you have done the right
thing. She gives you some tips for talking to the dentist tomorrow.
The next day when you go to work, the dentist comes up to you right away.
He apologizes and says that he didn't understand about the licensing. The
other dental assistant did the scaling without complaining, so he didn't think
it was a big issue.
From then on, the dentists don't ask you to do scaling. They continue to
tell you that you are doing a good job. You are glad that you did the right
thing.
"It's important to establish personal boundaries," says Marlene Robinson,
the executive director of a dental assistants' association. "You learn to
communicate effectively and to communicate those boundaries in a respectful
way. That commands respect, and if you are not getting the respect you need,
you're in the wrong place. "