Pandemic Ethics: Rethinking Rights, Responsibilities and Roles in Social Work (1 credit hour)

Program Summary: This course explores the ethical challenges experienced by social workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and offers a framework for understanding ethics during a time of crisis. Four broad responses to ethical challenges were identified and include ethical confusion, ethical distress, ethical creativity, and ethical learning. The course highlights the efforts of social workers to practice ethically during this time of change and introduces concepts of ethical agency, slow ethics, and professional judgement.

This course is recommended for social workers and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  This course is not recommended for NBCC ethics credit.


“Book  Open the Course Reading Here.

Reading:  Pandemic ethics:  Rethinking Rights, Responsibilities, and Roles in Social Work by Sarah Banks and Nikki Rutter- open access

Publisher:  Oxford University Press; British Journal of Social Work

Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by exploring ethical challenges and responses during the Covid-19 pandemic

Learning Objectives:  Compare ethical confusion, ethical distress, ethical creativity, and ethical learning.  Give an example of ethical agency.  Describe the concept of slow ethics.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

Course Available Until: December 31, 2026.

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1: The authors of this paper contend that the ethically right responses to challenging situations
 
 
 
2: An 'ethical agent' is an ___________________ participant.
 
 
3: Which of the following describes not knowing what was the right action to take, or how to work out what was right?
 
 
 
 
4: Which of the following describes feeling negative emotions derived from knowing what would be the right course of action, but being unable to carry it out due to institutional or other constraints?
 
 
 
 
5: Which of the following describes making extra effort to work out what would be right in new circumstances and being flexible and imaginative in carrying it out?
 
 
 
 
6: Which of the following describes reflecting on learning from working during the pandemic and implications for ethical practice in the future?
 
 
 
 
7: Indication of ethical distress might include feeling
 
 
 
 
 
8: Ethical creativity may entail ____________ institutional rules and norms.
 
 
 
 
9: Practicing during Covid-19 has _________ the range of ethics work needed to do social work at all, let alone while maintaining professional ethical integrity.
 
 
10: Another message is the importance of
 
 
11: Which of the following best describes professional ethics judgement?
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

Pandemic Ethics: Rethinking Rights, Responsibilities, and Roles in Social Work, Course #4585, is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Free State Social Work, LLC as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 12/08/2022 - 12/08/2024. Social workers completing this course receive 1 Ethics continuing education credit.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City. She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: December 31, 2026.
Filed under: Covid-19, Ethics