Practicing Social Work Ethics Among Hospital Social Workers in Saudi Arabia

Social workers often work with vulnerable clients and are expected to always utilize ethical decision-making skills. Using a questionnaire, we explored how 218 hospital social workers in Western Saudi Arabia applied ethical standards in social work practice. General findings of this study raise a number of compelling issues related to the importance of taking into account the culture and the importance of the professional relationship in the change effort. The results of this preliminary study recognize the importance of ethical practice principles within the social work context and open the way for further investigation within the Saudi context focusing on the application of universal ethical principles while taking into account culturally sensitive interpretations.