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Ethical Issues In Potter-O Grady And Mallock

Decent Essays

Nurse leaders face various moral, ethical, and legal issues in the workplace. Scenario four presented in the Potter-O’Grady and Mallock (2016) text illustrates an uncomfortable, yet not terribly rare instance of a nurse-nurse ethical dilemma (p.225). The background of the situation is that a unit is experiencing an issue with a nurse who is habitually late, expresses dissatisfaction with her assigned work and refuses to be a team player. She is also related to and very open about her relationship with a well-respected physician in the facility. Finally, the nurse in question has yet to be confronted by her nurse manager or any other staff members. The facts that can be verified are that she is habitually tardy, questions work assignments, demonstrates …show more content…

First, the nurse manager and the unit are at risk of experiencing ethical erosion. Ethical erosion is described by Potter-O’Grady and Mallock (2016), is the slow and progressive wasting away of ethical standards that occurs when deviations from the norm become commonplace. Second, it is likely that the nurses’ behavior has not been addressed because peers have rationalized her behavior or because others may feel they would be overstepping boundaries or may fear reprisal for speaking out against her. Next, her tardiness as well as her dissatisfaction with assigned work likely create additional workload for others and place the safety of patients at risk. Meanwhile, her reluctance to collaborate with peers tears down team cohesiveness, increases animosity, and builds resentment within the work center. Furthermore, by not addressing the issue the nurse manager is acting unfairly and is at risk of losing credibility among …show more content…

While discussion about work assignments is encouraged, nurses must have valid reasons for refusing work assignments. Allowing one nurse and not others to refuse assignments out of convenience creates an unfair environment. It is also imperative that nurse manager review work expectations regarding patient safety, timeliness, teamwork, and professional and unprofessional relationships with the nurse in question as well as with all employees. Furthermore, obtaining documentation of understanding in writing would be a great way for both parties to establish a solid starting point. After expectations clearly set, the nurse can be given the opportunity to self-correct the behaviors. If the behaviors continue, the nurse manager can seek to escalate the issue through Human Resources or other appropriate administrative

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