Hcs 335 - Ethical Decision

Ethical Decision

HCS/335

University of Phoenix

Introduction

For years I have loved working in the health care industry. It has allowed for me to develop a love for making a difference in the loves of so many people and helping them along the way. Throughout the years I have developed friendships, gained knowledge and grew considerably in many areas of life by working with others for a cause that is greater than myself.

Ethical Decision

Throughout my tenure as a healthcare professional I have seen a lot of things. Some of those things were not very pleasant to witness and others have taught me so much about life. Being that I work in long-term care, I often learn a lot from the elders that I take care of. It has always been a pleasure to gain knowledge, listen to stories of the “good ole days” and create bonds with my new and/or second grandmother(s), as some of the patients would adopt me as their own. Down the line I have grown close with some of my coworkers that I spend more time with at work then at home. However, one of my biggest battles at work was if I should report a cause of abuse on a resident by a friend.

One day as I was doing my normal routine and making rounds on my unit as a unit secretary I overheard one of my good friend’s voice coming from behind a semi-closed door. She was speaking in a very nasty tone and saying really condescending things. In my mind, I just knew she was not talking to a resident that way, so I decided to wait it out and hang around in that area until she come out of the room. Shortly thereafter, she left from out of the room and I proceeded to enter to the room to see who was in the room, thinking that maybe she was on the phone and the resident was not there. I was wrong. The resident was in the room, sitting there, looking upset and appearing very withdrawn. I knew at that moment I was faced with a hard decision.

I was faced with the choice to either pretend that I had not just witnessed verbal abuse of a resident by one of my good friends, or ruin a perfectly good friendship with a person that may have been experiencing other issues. I felt that it was my right, duty and obligation not only as a healthcare professional but as a person to report the abuse of a vulnerable person.

Supporting Ethical Theories

One of the things that I have learned in the class thus far is understanding what I have long known about myself, that I am a good person. I have empathy for others which make me such a good fit for the medical field. Virtue-Based Ethics would best support my reasoning for making the decision to report my friend for abuse. My belief in caring