Applying Ethical Principles
Summary of Case Study
Hopewell Hospital doesn’t have an excellent reputation. Only a handful of providers meet the standards of providing proper care. The new director, E.L. Straight, came in, and new programs and services that pertain to quality were implemented. Under his supervision was Dr. Cutrie, a general surgeon who had been practicing for a long time at the facility but had had issues with quality and integrity throughout the years. Recently at the hospital, it was discovered that a needle protector was left in a patient’s stomach and that the patient was already discharged from the facility. Dr. Cutrie stated that it could not hurt the patient and that the patient may experience some discomfort. Straight contacted the chief of surgery with a supposed question about the needle protector and received a similar response from Dr. Cutrie. E.L. Straight integrity seemed to be between a rock and a hard place. The bottom line was that Dr. Cutrie had a significant influence at Hopewell Hospital and was getting away with dishonest practices. Case Study Analysis
From the case study, E.L. Straight integrity was in jeopardy. He wanted to correct the error no matter the cost. On the other hand, Dr. Cutrie did not see a need to do what was right. Dr. Cutrie's influence was powerful enough for the chief of surgery not to question the situation. E.L.
Straight brought change to the facility regarding quality but didn’t have much impact on Dr. Cutrie's unethical practices.
