Ethics in the Workplace: An Executive Response In the case study, “We’ve Got You Covered” (Wolfe, Williams, Smith, Silvestri, & McClean, 2000), Justin Tyme, a new hire registered nurse, has shown great incompetence in many instances, all which have been noted by Justin’s fellow employees. On numerous occasions Justin has provided inadequate healthcare to the patients he is responsible for. Justin is known to not follow through with patient observations, he does not heed to the attending physician’s orders for patient care, he often misses dosing schedules and he continues to make mistakes even after fellow nurses bring them to his attention. This lack of focus presents a great danger to Justin’s patients as well as to his fellow employees.
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In this case, Justin’s fellow employees like working with him and think he is helpful when they are in need. However, it seems that Justin only performs well with others and yet does not perform well or at all when he is left alone, leaving his fellow nurses to pick up the slack as a result. It is a fair presumption that Justin perhaps does not share the unified ethical vision of integrity with the group. According to the ACHE Code of Ethics, a healthcare leader is responsible for implementing an organizational code of ethics making sure all employees are compliant (Section III, part I). It is therefore imperative that all employees representing the organization reflect the same vision and high standard of care. This is so that each individual takes responsibility for their own actions, even in the absence of the group. A set vision or goal for an organization that is shared by all can motivate individuals to do their best and positively impact the success of the whole organization (“Creating An Ethical Culture”, …show more content…
However often times in team settings, one or more persons tend to do less than others requiring fellow team members to compensate for another individual’s lack of effort. In this case, although Justin had recently been hired to relieve a staff shortage, many instances arose where Justin’s lack of responsibility created a hazard and more work for his fellow employees instead. Justin’s coworkers continued to cover up his mistakes to prevent him from being terminated which would have resulted in the team being short-staffed once again. Staff shortages tend to put undue stress on employees, sometimes creating unsafe, hostile work environments. The ACHE Code of Ethics Policy states that effective healthcare leaders should be able to address these shortages while maintaining good quality healthcare for the patient by lessening the strain and anxiety for healthcare workers and successfully managing staffing budgets (“Ethical Issues”, 2012). One approach that is in line with the ACHE policy as it pertains to staff shortages, is to create a cross-training model. Studies have shown that where staffing resources are limited, the multi-departmental cross-training of nurses have in fact lessened negative outcomes, required less nurses to achieve company goals, and resulted in high service levels at a low cost to the organization (Paul & MacDonald,
In this case, Justin’s fellow employees like working with him and think he is helpful when they are in need. However, it seems that Justin only performs well with others and yet does not perform well or at all when he is left alone, leaving his fellow nurses to pick up the slack as a result. It is a fair presumption that Justin perhaps does not share the unified ethical vision of integrity with the group. According to the ACHE Code of Ethics, a healthcare leader is responsible for implementing an organizational code of ethics making sure all employees are compliant (Section III, part I). It is therefore imperative that all employees representing the organization reflect the same vision and high standard of care. This is so that each individual takes responsibility for their own actions, even in the absence of the group. A set vision or goal for an organization that is shared by all can motivate individuals to do their best and positively impact the success of the whole organization (“Creating An Ethical Culture”, …show more content…
However often times in team settings, one or more persons tend to do less than others requiring fellow team members to compensate for another individual’s lack of effort. In this case, although Justin had recently been hired to relieve a staff shortage, many instances arose where Justin’s lack of responsibility created a hazard and more work for his fellow employees instead. Justin’s coworkers continued to cover up his mistakes to prevent him from being terminated which would have resulted in the team being short-staffed once again. Staff shortages tend to put undue stress on employees, sometimes creating unsafe, hostile work environments. The ACHE Code of Ethics Policy states that effective healthcare leaders should be able to address these shortages while maintaining good quality healthcare for the patient by lessening the strain and anxiety for healthcare workers and successfully managing staffing budgets (“Ethical Issues”, 2012). One approach that is in line with the ACHE policy as it pertains to staff shortages, is to create a cross-training model. Studies have shown that where staffing resources are limited, the multi-departmental cross-training of nurses have in fact lessened negative outcomes, required less nurses to achieve company goals, and resulted in high service levels at a low cost to the organization (Paul & MacDonald,