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Code of Ethics The National Board for Home Care and Hospice Certification (NBHHC) is a voluntary, non-profit, professional association. The NBHHC Certification Program certifies qualified practitioners in the field of home care and hospice, who have met the professional knowledge standards established by the NBHHC Certification Board. Regardless of any other professional affiliation, this NBHHC Code of Ethics applies to those individuals seeking NBHHC certification (candidates), and all individuals certified by the NBHHC. The NBHHC Code of Ethics establishes appropriate and enforceable professional conduct standards, and explains the minimal ethical behavior requirements for NBHHC certificants and candidates. I. Responsibilities to NBHHC, the profession and the public.
A. Certified Manager, Administrator, or Executive is compliant with all organizational rules, policies and legal requirements. Certificants and candidates must:
1. Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and ethical standards governing professional practice of home care and hospice.
2. Comply with all accepted professional standards related to clinical and management practices, including national practice standards and policies.
3. Provide accurate, complete, and truthful representations concerning all certification and recertification information.
4. Maintain the security of NBHHC examination information and materials, including the prevention of unauthorized disclosures of test information.
5. Cooperate with NBHHC concerning ethics matters and the collection of information related to an ethics matter.
6. Report to the NBHHC Certification Program, in a timely manner, his or her own personal conduct that may violate any provision of the NBHHC Code of Ethics or the Certification Program Ethics Case Procedures.
7. Refrain from behavior or conduct that is clearly in violation of professional, ethical, or legal standards related to occupational services and/or activities.
II. Responsibilities to clients, employers, employees, and the public.
A. Certified managers, administrators, and executives responsibilities concerning the performance of professional services. Certificants and candidates must:
1. Deliver safe and competent services with objective and independent professional judgment in decision-making.
2. Recognize the limitations of their professional ability and provide services only when qualified. The certificant/candidate is responsible for determining the limits of his/her own professional abilities based on qualifications, education, knowledge, skills, practice experience, and other relevant considerations.
3. Make a reasonable effort to provide appropriate professional referrals when unable to provide competent professional assistance.
4. Maintain and respect the confidentiality of sensitive information obtained in the course of professional activities unless: the information is reasonably understood to pertain to unlawful activity; a court or governmental agency lawfully directs the release of the information; the client or the employer expressly authorizes the release of specific information; or, the failure to release such information would likely result in death or serious physical harm to employees and/or the public.
5. Properly use professional credentials, and provide truthful and accurate representations concerning education, experience, competency and the performance of services.
6. Provide truthful and accurate representations to the public in advertising, public statements, and other representations, and in the preparation of estimates concerning costs, services and expected results.
7. Recognize and respect the intellectual property rights of others and act in an accurate, complete, and truthful manner, including activities related to professional work and research. B. Certified manager, administrator, and executive responsibilities concerning conflicts of interest and appearances of impropriety. Certificants and candidates must:
1. Disclose to clients or employers significant circumstances that could be construed as a potential or real conflict of interest or an appearance of impropriety.
2. Avoid conduct that could cause a conflict of interest with a client, employer, employee, or the public.
3. Assure that a conflict of interest does not compromise legitimate interests of a client, employer, employee, or the public and does not influence or interfere with professional judgments.
4. Refrain from offering or accepting significant payments, gifts or other forms of compensation or benefits in order to secure work or that are intended to influence professional judgment.
C. Certified manager, administrator, and executive responsibilities concerning public health and safety. Certificants and candidates must:
1. Follow appropriate health and safety procedures, in the course of performing professional activities, to protect clients, employers, employees, and the public from conditions where injury and/or other harm are reasonably foreseeable.
2. Inform appropriate government representatives or agencies when aware of an activity or circumstance that may cause an unsafe condition or violate legal requirements.
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