Introduction
In a rather busy hospital near a slum, I work as medical personnel. Numerous patients report to the hospital day in day out. Various conditions are presented including serious illnesses that require dedicated attention on the patient besides carrying out a follow-up on the progress.
Professional ethics
At work, my ethics are a guide to the action I take on patients to ensure that they are not in danger or pain. My great concern is to ensure that the problem of the patient is identified and solved professionally. The code of values ensures that my choice of action or step demonstrates professionalism, humanity, and hospitality.
My conscience can guide me on the most probable or appropriate step that is worth my efforts as I try to give help to the patient. Various cases need the intervention of other medical personnel in that specialty and so, deciding to make a go-ahead in the treatment without consultation, is usually avoided. (Murray 2005)
Professional help of those qualified to offer the service must be given so that the patient can benefit from the attention. Personal values also do count in my day-to-day activities since morality is the basis of my devotion to service delivery. In cases my virtues have to play a role, I am keen to make sure that decision-making is not influenced by other factors except what is in my conscience. Morality has to be maintained so that the decision arrived at does not degrade the morality of the patient as well as of the medical personnel.
Ethics is therefore how a moral person handles issues and behavior when various types of cases or conditions at work or home present themselves. The major interest would be to maintain high standards of morality without interfering with the belief and attitudes of the patient. At the same time, values are a force that makes one be committed to service and charity in each a case. They can sacrifice time, money, and long hours of study so that they can perfect their skill to serve the community.
While aspiring to become a manager in the future, some ethics and values are eminent. Good conduct, morality, and goodwill of patients can be a major boost to making a manager. This is because the factors will contribute to confidence from the patients and the community at large as they understand that their concerns and interests are addressed by the management team.
At my workplace, organizational ethics ensure employees and patients are supported and are comfortable at the hospital. The quality of service is of a high standard as clinical ethics ensure professionalism, accountability, and corporate identity. The well-being of the patients is looked into as the service given is analyzed on its appropriateness rather than a bias toward the patient’s needs. These ethics also maintain regulated conduct in handling patients and addressing their needs as they arise. Furthermore, there is unity in diversity and corporate identity in the effort of all parties involved in the services industry. Ethical practices are highly recommended as the medical personal need to maintain public accountability at all times. The organization encourages corporate social responsibility by developing human potential through training and development programs as well as the use of value-based leadership. (Villani 1994)
As a future manager, I would wish to practice professionalism to prevent harm or pain and to offer service without greed or favor. Value for life is well respected and in areas of medical justification, abortion can be carried out but not for selfish and inconsiderate malpractice of denying life to a fetus. This is because; abortion is still illegal in our nation and our organization.
The vision and mission would be to offer quality and standard services in terms of accuracy, efficiency to prevent pain, further harm, or death. This can only work through a personal code of ethics that addresses issues of strict discipline, equality, and perfection in the services that are delivered. (Murray 2005)
Workplace values stipulate the focus of patients’ rights to receive good care and quality services. The standard operating procedures need to be a collective responsibility of the medical personnel as they deliver the service. More value is given to incidence analysis and the vision is to offer the best services, safety, efficiency, and effective medical intervention. This is very important as customer satisfaction is achieved through the operational practices addressing their needs. The workplace culture is that which puts more emphasis on the need to handle, solve and achieve a good result in emphasis of need to handle, solve and achieve a good result in customer care. Treatment and management of the patient are the responsibility of the organization. This means that all their efforts would be directed towards achieving the best possible result of cure or management of the disease or medical condition.
Organizational social responsibilities
There are several organizational social responsibilities mainly on the employees, patients, and the community at large. Employees require a good working environment with ethical management and leadership. This is very necessary as employees remain motivated in terms of their social and economic needs being met. Besides that, they enjoy friendly supervision and can work together to attain organizational goals and objectives. The civil rights of employees and their human rights are addressed in a step to ensure they are comfortable at work.
To the community environmental concerns are also given thought especially with the disposal of waste material. The drainage system consists of filters that neutralize the chemicals that may be in the system. At the time of disposing of waste, those that are dangerous and can cause environmental degradation are buried deep into the soil. This ensures that safety is maintained with organized safety measures in place.
To the community, voluntary service is carried out especially in advocating for good health practices. This occurs to organized training sessions that address issues of hygiene, diet, and disease management. At this point, if there is a high incidence of for example cholera, the issue is addressed at a community level where they are taught safe drinking water, cooking methods, and health measures especially on the toilets and latrines used. Free treatment, checkups, or diseases management programs are to reduce the number of reported cases and death. (Flynn 1992).
On analyzing the organizational ethical standards, they demonstrate great commitment to the well-being of the patients and staff members. They can attract human resources that are qualified and competent to address the various needs of the patients. The organization has also dedicated its funds to purchasing and maintaining health facility machines and equipment. This has helped the employees able to have the help of machines especially with the use of the automated machine. There have been reduced manual operations that involved repetitive procedures but it has now advanced to highly sophisticated machines. These machines can run multiple tests within little time and maintaining high standards of accuracy and efficiency. This has given the employees more time to cater to the special needs of patients and hence counseling sessions and one on one programs can be allocated time
The major weakness would be in the irrelevant topics that are taught during the development programs. Most of them are not applicable, especially where such facilities as machines and audiovisual aids are not available. At the same time, training and development sessions have been allocated at the time when the staff is exhausted, committed, or rather at an appropriate time. This happens especially in the evenings or after a hard day’s work. Change should be made so that such seminars are held in the morning when the mind is fresh to grasp almost every part presented. (Murray 2005) (Villani 1994)
Despite much being taught in these sessions, many of the methods and procedures are rarely implemented and this gives no meaning to the wasted resources directed towards the program while it cannot be implemented. The organization is also not strict on the attendance of the staff members in the meetings and training programs.
At times, funds are unavailable and this means that just a few of the staff are sponsored into the training program. They are then supposed to teach their colleagues what they learned. This has not been effective bearing in mind that not all may have been recorded or understood. At the same time, when others are committed to their normal duties, they can hardly make time to receive an update on what was learned.
Ethical principles for development
There are moral philosophies and ethical principles that keep the organization growing and meeting its objectives. Having priority and interest in patients encourages them to focus on the delivery of service at whatever cost. This is mainly because they are result-oriented and keep the focus on achieving the normal health of their visitors. They are also committed to excellence. This increases the dedication of the employees to offer what they have in systematic and accurate procedures. The organization also reviews and makes changes to the operational procedures intending to make it professionally up to standard and also one that can increase accuracy. There is routine teaching on quality control and this is achieved through frequent training sessions.
One among the least important in their principle is in the following of the laid down procedures which are not applicable in case of emergencies. They should instead organize on alternative or shorter procedures of achieving an expected result. In case of emergency, an incident analysis usually follows very fast, and ethical practice should be followed on the already set standard but in some instances, decision-making skills will involve personal assessment, evaluation, and execution of the duties in a manner that best meets the needs of the patient.
The most important concept that can be learned from such an organization is that competence and confidence can go a long way in carrying out the profession dutifully and with professional integrity achieved in the code of values that are evident in the culture of the organization. (Villani 1994)
If I had the opportunity to serve the people from the management point of view, it would be important to ensure that duties are followed and carried out properly. Furthermore, recommendations from the patients and the community would be given attention are they serve as an asset to the organization. (Flynn 1992).
A program should be initiated to collect feedback in terms of what service is given, how and a recommendation of what can be done to make it better. As for patients from the wards, the organization should put measures to send flowers to the patients who recover and are discharged from the hospital.
The employees should be made to know that they are responsible for their actions and in such a way, recommendations on right and wrong behavior should be addressed as they occur. Good conduct, punctuality, and compliance with the set standards should be emphasized. They should be empowered to give their ideas in decision-making processes as they feel involved and they can address their concerns in the decision that might be taken.
Conclusion
Job rotations would be emphasized and this is especially because each medical personnel needs to be acquainted with the procedures undertaken in the institution. This is also necessary especially in times of emergency cases where they can assist, patients as they await professionals in their area of specialty. A procedure also needs to be laid down so that as they work on rotations especially on night and day shifts, an elaborate record of the events or activities, that have been done need to be shown so that the person who picks up duties are aware of what has been done or not done. This is important, especially because medical personnel depend on one another in terms of those that diagnose, consult and nurse the patients. This interrelationship needs to be maintained by ensuring group cohesiveness. (Villani 1994)
While in management I would emphasize teamwork as this is fundamental in having efficient delivery of service. Good organization of how duties are done pay and recreational facilities can be motivating to the staff. This is because they can learn that what they do is appreciated and therefore they can put more time into their profession. As a leader, personal values should be respected and the employees helped to learn how to implement what they have to the organization. (Flynn 1992).
Teamwork is the means to greater heights of co-operational harmony and unity of thoughts and values that help the organization achieve its mission and vision in a rather easy way. To the community, environmental development programs can be initiated. Social development programs too can be implemented in areas concerning the clean source of water, short grass, and waste disposal.
Extensive training and development program for the society would be used to teach on health practices such as diet and more so for women in healthy delivery systems. The community can also be taught first aid skills and other emergency measure skills necessary.
References
Flynn Rob (1992). Structures Of Control In Health Management: rough ledge.
Murray P, D and Pode Grant Jones (2005). Contemporary Issues in Management And Organizational Behavior: Thomson Learning Nelson.
Villani J.P (1994). Ethics and Values In Long Term Health Care. Haworth press.