Standards of Practice

11.1 Interpreters reflect on the wide range of ethical principles and standards that may apply to any particular situation, consider which options will produce the most beneficent result, and implement them.

Prompt: Am I aware of the continuum of ethical possibilities available to me to choose to use in my professional practice? Am I choosing the one that best serves the goals and well‑being of participants in this situation?

Example: Interpreters connect patients who need transportation with the person who organizes transportation.

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11.2 Interpreters respect the expertise, autonomy, rights, and responsibilities of each participant in the encounter.

Prompt: Am I the best person to address the challenge I am facing? When providing my opinion? Is it within my area of expertise?

Examples:

• Interpreters redirect a patient's request for their advice to the person who has the expertise and authority to respond, and interpret so the patient can ask (if possible.)
• Interpreters refrain from providing medical advice.
• Interpreters with medical training refrain from offering medical advice, even if they possess relevant medical knowledge.
• Interpreters refrain from any activity that is clearly beyond their professional scope of practice.

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11.3 Interpreters practice professional discretion and consider the potential consequences of their decisions.

Prompt: How can I evaluate whether my actions align with my responsibilities, and uphold ethical standards?

Example: Interpreters prioritize the values and principles that are most important in a given encounter, in order to best meet the needs of the participants.

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11.4 Interpreters make clear for participants what to expect Interpreters will do within their scope of practice.

Prompt: How can I ensure participants know which set of responsibilities I am fulfilling?

Examples:

• Interpreters who are hired to do two different jobs make clear which role they are performing at any given time.
• Interpreters who are also nurses make clear when they are doing nursing teaching and when they are interpreting for another clinician.
• Interpreters who are asked to push an empty wheel chair or an IV pole, evaluate whether they can safely do that, and if they agree, they explain that it is not part of the interpreter's scope of practice, so other interpreters may not agree to do it.

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11.5 Interpreters engage with others in polite, caring, and professionally appropriate manners, without becoming personally overinvolved.

Prompt: How can I balance kindness with professional distance?

Example: Interpreters keep their personal health care experiences to themselves.

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