Week 5: Ethical and legal applications

Week 5: Ethical and legal applications

1.

Analyze the case study for potential issues for members of the healthcare team from

office conflict. Contrast the potential effects for each member of the healthcare team

based upon the required readings from the week. Discuss the potential ethical and legal

implications for each of the following practice members:

Sadly, conflict will always be part of the workplace environment. Workplace conflicts should be

addressed promptly to avoid legal and ethical dilemma. It is the responsibility of every member

of the practice to act in a professional manner and treat one another with respect regardless of

personal differences. Each individual must be responsible for their actions and keep in mind that

the highest priority in a clinical, professional setting is patient safety.

The medical assistant

– The medical assistant not only neglected her responsibility to monitor

her patient closely, but also showed inappropriate behavior in what is considered to be a

professional setting. Her negligence to report the low blood pressure to the nurse practitioner

could have been harmful to the patient, therefore, potentially impacting patient safety and

placing the practice into a possible law sue in the form of negligent or malpractice if the patient

would have been harmed.

Nurse practitioner-

The nurse practitioner is ultimately the one responsible for the patient’s care

and wellbeing and therefore needs to address such issues immediately. The scenario reports that

the nurse practitioner has witnessed other clinical staff engaged in heated arguments with each

other in clinical areas, but it is not clear if she had reported this behavior; allowing this conflict

to continue places the nurse practitioner at risk for lawsuit due to negligent or malpractice.

Nevertheless, she should have addressed this conflict the minute it happened, especially if

patients are witnessing it also. This type of behavior should not be tolerated in a professional

workplace. Even though the nurse practitioner was not the one who failed to report the low blood

pressure, this situation could have placed her in ethical and legal consequences.

Medical Director

- A medical director uses administrative skills and education to oversee and

ensure the efficient operation of a practice. (learn.org,2019). This mean staff comply with the

facility’s polices and system and high quality, safe and efficient care is provided. The medical

director is ultimately responsible ethically and legally for everyone in the practice including

patents, therefore, by allowing the conflict among staff to continue, he or she has failed the

ethical principles of nonmaleficence, the obligation to do or cause no harm. The practice could

face legal consequences if the patient decides to pursue legal actions.

Practice-

The practice needs to change the way it operates. If the staff has the impression that

this type of behavior is acceptable then it will never change. If conflicts are happening in patient

areas, patients may give bad reviews for the practice, which is terrible for business. This type of

behavior can lead to unsafe and inadequate patient care. For the benefit of the practice,

emphasizes needs to be placed on professionalism, productive communication, and respect.

Professionalism is the conduct, behavior and attitude of someone in a work or business

environment. Professionalism leads to workplace success, a strong professional reputation and a

high level of work ethic and excellence. (Career and professionals development, 2019).