Ethical Considerations in Psychological Consultation to Critical Care Settings

This chapter discusses the ethical and professional standards affecting psychologists who provide consultation as members of interdisciplinary treatment teams in critical care and intensive care settings. The authors describe the unique characteristics of critical and intensive care units and how they contribute to complex life and death decisions, which in turn can result in unique moral, ethical, and clinical psychological dilemmas. In particular, this chapter focuses on the ethical quandaries that are commonly faced by psychologists in these highly specialized medical settings, and provides a mechanism for resolving ethical conflicts when they occur. Case examples are provided, each of which illustrate one of the ten ethical standards listed in the American Psychological Association’s code of ethics. Lastly, a model for maintaining ethical situational awareness in psychological consultations in critical care settings is proposed to serve as a guide for psychologists as they navigate and ultimately resolve challenging ethical dilemmas.