Ethical decision-making policies -Strengths of Policies & Opportunities for improvement

Ethical decision-making policies -Strengths of Policies & Opportunities for improvement

Ethical decision making in my healthcare organization has been an essential requirement, especially for the executives when they want to address issues on conflicts and uncertainty. Some of the uncertainty competing values addressed are professional, personal, societal, and organizational. The decision making policy has several strengths that have contributed to the growth of the healthcare facility. It has facilitated a growing concern over issues concerning accessibility, affordability, patient safety, quality, financial, and other organizational operations issues. The executives can ethically make decisions that solve the complex ethical dilemmas faced in the healthcare organization. The policy has enabled them to form ethics committees that handle consultation issues. They have established procedures and guidelines that help them in the ethical decision-making process.

The policy has put the management in a position to handle issues concerning the conflicting interests of patients and caregivers. Leaders can lead the healthcare facility in a way that sets an ethical tone and behaviour in the organization. The policy has created an organizational culture that fosters good clinical and administrative practices (Cohen & Erickson, 2006).  The organization’s commitment to ethical decision making can now be communicated well through the set mission and value statements and the code of ethics. There has been an appropriate use of power that considers societal, individual, and organizational balancing. Shared vision seems to be implied within the healthcare system, which has improved the interpersonal relationships among the employees.  The policy has made it easy to eliminate all unethical options hence remaining with the best ethical alternatives.

With all the strengths that the ethical decision-making policy has, there are many opportunities for improvement. Healthcare clinicians and administrators still have a chance to enhance ethical practices (Purtilo & Doherty, 2016). The leaders can also support ethical behaviour in the organization by being role models, listening to employees and accepting their suggestions. Besides, the nurses in the healthcare facility fall into a dilemma when faced with moral distress. The administration should find ways to address this distress.

Also, there is still an opportunity to improve the trusting relationships in the organization. This will help in hooking all the groups together. Authenticity and modelling of behaviour will also increase trust from one employee to another and with all other stakeholders. The employees will focus on shared values, goals and vision, therefore, improving patient care. From this, the ethical decision-making process will be easier for both the administration and subordinates. The leaders have a duty of ensuring cooperation. They should identify and describe all the benefits of collaboration among all stakeholders. It includes clarifying ethical standards that revolve around decisions. The healthcare leaders should also focus on helping the members understand the complexity behind the ethical decision-making process requires courage to stay on the right course (Purtilo & Doherty, 2016). They should consider how the ethical decisions made influence the relationships between patients, physicians and the administration.

The healthcare facility leaders need all the concepts of ethical decision making. Changes are happening rapidly, and there is a new road to success that creates an opportunity for improvement. Therefore some previous methods and processes of decision making may not apply in the future to solve issues within the organization and its relation to society.

References

Cohen, J., & Erickson, J. (2006). Ethical Dilemmas and Moral Distress in Oncology Nursing Practice.

Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 10(6), 775-780. https://doi.org/10.1188/06.cjon.775-780

Purtilo, R. & Doherty, R. (2016). Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (6th ed.). St. Louis, MO:

Elsevier.