Staffing and Quality of Care in Hospitals: Ethical Concerns

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Judie’s faces a difficult situation at her workplace which makes it difficult for her to carry out her duties as a nurse manager effectively. She is dedicated, loyal and willing to serve the needs of patients despite the challenging professional environment she works in. However, she has a lot of stress which affects her ability to perform her responsibilities as a mother to her two children effectively. The main ethical concern that arises out of the case study is the failure by the hospital’s administration to provide adequate resources to staff members to enable them to attain positive outcomes in their workstations (Fremgen, 2009, p. 65). Therefore, this paper will discuss how ethical concerns related to the case study can be addressed to make Judie and other people she works with to overcome their stress.

Discussion

The failure by the hospital to hire adequate nursing staff and to avail adequate resources makes it difficult for Judie to give quality care to all patients that require managed care. As a nurse, Judie has a responsibility to give high quality care to all patients that visit the hospital but her efforts are being eroded by the administration’s incompetence. This is an ethical dilemma of care because she is likely to be held responsible for poor health outcomes in the institution (Garrett, Baillie & Garrett, 2009. p. 74). Therefore, this situation exposes her and other nursing staff to the likelihood of making mistakes as they care for patients and this is an ethical dilemma of justice.

The failure by the hospital to increase the number of nurses to care for its patients shows that is negligent and does not care for its patients’ welfare. Judie and other employees in the institution are forced to work under a lot of pressure to satisfy the expectations of the hospital’s management, and this has affected their morale. The case shows that the hospital is violating its patients’ rights to quality healthcare by failing to provide adequate resources to nurses. It is also violating the labor rights of its nurses (Nairn, 2012, p. 8). Therefore, there is a possibility that Judie and other nurses are being overworked. Consequently, this may have a detrimental effect on overall performance attained by all departments in the institution.

The first ethical concern that is presented in the case is poor resource allocation by the hospital which has made it difficult for nurses to perform their duties effectively. This situation is likely to endanger patient safety in the institution because they are likely to be attended to by nurses who are not able to give them a lot of attention because they are overworking. The second ethical concern that is presented in the case study is the violation of labor rights (Wong & Cummings, 2007, p. 513). The hospital’s administration has instituted staffing cuts which compel Judie and other employees to work harder in order to satisfy patients’ needs. As a result, the administration’s failure to consult Judie regarding these drastic changes has made her feel betrayed.

Conclusion

Judie faces a lot of problems in her workstation because the administration has failed to make good decisions which satisfy the needs of nurses and patients. As a result, even though she always attends to her patients’ needs, the administration has failed to recognize her efforts and this has affected her morale negatively.

References

Fremgen, B. F. (2009). Medical law and ethics. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Garrett, T. M., Baillie, H. W., & Garrett, R. M. (2009). Health care ethics: Principles and problems. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Nairn, S. (2012). A critical realist approach to knowledge: Implications for evidence-based practice in and beyond nursing. Nursing Inquiry, 19 (1), 6-17.

Wong, C.A., & Cummings, G.G. (2007). The relationship between nursing leadership and patient outcomes: A systematic review. Journal of Nursing Management, 15, 508–521.

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Staffing and Quality of Care in Hospitals: Ethical Concerns

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