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A Strategic Plan Is A Document Used To Structure And Communicate Organ
A strategic plan is a document used to structure and communicate organizational goals. It is also used to mitigate risks and alleviate the potential for legal cases. Barbara receives information that there is an additional, more pressing issue at a satellite clinic that is not documented in the original UCCO case. This issue relates to the emergency care clinic, which is used to treat patients with trauma-related injuries. The clinic has been over-utilized for the past year, resulting in stressed staffing, overwhelming costs, and decreasing quality of patient care and customer satisfaction.
Staff productivity is affected by use of personal cell phones and clinic equipment is often used for social media. In one particular case, a 13-year old patient was seen for trauma care by the UCCO Emergency Clinic. The patient's parents make it clear to the staff that they are not willing to give consent to any procedure involving blood products or transfusion. The risks are explained to the parents. The patient arrived unconscious but shortly regains consciousness.
After the parents leave the room, the patient tells the nurse that she is afraid of dying and would like any care, including blood procedures and products, to save her life. The nurse later finds out that the rejection by the parents was due to religious reasons. The nurse quickly discusses the case with fellow employees, one of which posts comments on her social media page using a clinic-owned computer. The nursing director gives a verbal warning to all involved nurses and staff. Visit the Rasmussen online Library and search for a minimum of 3 articles covering the topics of ethics, healthcare professionalism, and federal legislations.
Conduct academic research using the library's databases, like: CINAHL Discovery Business Source Complete via EBSCO Business via ProQuest. Use basic search languages (controlled vocabulary/keywords) to determine ethics laws specific to this situation. Some keywords to consider are healthcare professional code of ethics. Then, refine your searches based on your search results. Make sure to include a minimum of 3 credible, academic sources in your paper. Using your research, address the following points in a minimum of 3-page report: Was the nursing manager legally compliant with to protect patient information? Explain the legal risks and support with federal legislations and professional expectations, such as HIPAA and professional codes of ethics. What bearing does the age and religious requests have on the patient's case? Are there medical and ethical laws that supersede the parent's requests? What is the role and importance of communication among UCCO facilities, particularly in reference to compliance and ethical standards? What are the ethical and professional factors of using social media? Were the reactions to the patient's case illegal, or just unethical? How does this align with UCCO's mission, values, and strategic action plans? How does it compare to your own personal beliefs and values? Remember to integrate citations accurately and appropriately for all resource types; use attribution (credit) as a method to avoid plagiarism. Use NoodleBib to document your sources and to complete your APA formatted reference page and in-text citations.
Paper For Above instruction
The scenario presented highlights complex ethical, legal, and professional dilemmas faced by healthcare providers, especially in emergency and pediatric care settings. At its core, it questions the legality and ethics of information protection, informed consent, religious considerations, and professional conduct within a healthcare framework. These issues are rooted in legal statutes like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), professional ethical standards, and hospital policies that govern staff conduct, patient rights, and inter-facility communication.
First and foremost, the nursing manager's actions concerning patient information confidentiality appear to be compliant with federal legislation such as HIPAA. HIPAA mandates strict standards for safeguarding Protected Health Information (PHI) and imposes penalties for breaches (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2020). The nurse's discussion of the case with colleagues, assuming it was relevant for clinical purposes, might be permissible under HIPAA if done in a secure setting and without sharing identifiable information publicly. However, sharing case details on social media, as one staff member did, breaches confidentiality and violates HIPAA standards, posing significant legal risks for the organization and the staff involved (Mitchell, 2019).
The case of the 13-year-old patient raises critical legal and ethical questions, especially surrounding minors' rights, religious beliefs, and medical decision-making. According to legal statutes, minors' capacity to refuse treatment depends on their age, maturity, and capacity to understand the consequences (Fried, 2018). Agencies such as the courts can override parental refusals when the child's life or health is at imminent risk, particularly in emergencies where immediate life-saving intervention is critical (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021). Ethical principles like beneficence and nonmaleficence support healthcare providers' obligation to act in the best interests of the patient, which may supersede parental objections in life-threatening situations.
Religious objections to blood transfusions, such as those held by Jehovah's Witnesses, are legally recognized but do not exempt healthcare providers from providing necessary emergency interventions. Laws such as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) require hospitals to provide stabilizing treatment regardless of parental consent or religious beliefs (Gold, 2020). Ethical standards from professional bodies, including the American Nurses Association (ANA), emphasize patient autonomy but also acknowledge situations where clinicians are ethically justified in acting to preserve life, especially when minors are involved (ANA, 2015).
Effective communication among UCCO facilities is vital for ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards. Clear protocols for information sharing, incident reporting, and confidentiality maintain organizational integrity and protect patient rights. In this context, coordination would ideally involve documenting incidents, sharing relevant medical information securely, and ensuring staff are trained on confidentiality and professional conduct. Failure to communicate effectively can lead to legal liabilities, including breaches of confidentiality and violations of patient rights.
The use of social media by healthcare staff introduces additional ethical and professional considerations. While social media enables communication and information sharing, it can compromise patient confidentiality and blur professional boundaries. The American Medical Association and ANA provide guidelines emphasizing that social media posts should maintain patient privacy, professionalism, and respect (Chretien et al., 2010). Posting patient information or comments related to clinical cases damages trust, violates confidentiality, and exposes healthcare professionals and institutions to legal penalties.
Distinguishing whether reactions to the patient's case were illegal or merely unethical hinges on specific actions taken. Commenting on social media about patient cases, sharing identifiable information, or breaching confidentiality constitute legal violations under HIPAA. Conversely, making ethical judgments about treatment decisions, although morally complex, is not necessarily illegal. The reactions of staff must be aligned with organizational policies, legal mandates, and ethical codes; otherwise, they risk crossing legal boundaries.
All these issues align with UCCO's mission to provide high-quality, ethically sound healthcare services. Upholding confidentiality, respecting patient autonomy, and fostering a culture of professionalism are core to organizational values. The incident illustrates the importance of ongoing staff training and strong leadership in reinforcing ethical standards and compliance measures. Personal beliefs, including religious sensitivities and cultural values, must be balanced with professional obligations to deliver equitable and lawful care.
In conclusion, the legal and ethical landscape in healthcare is complex, particularly around sensitive issues like minors' consent, religious beliefs, and confidentiality. Healthcare providers must adhere to federal legislations like HIPAA and EMTALA, uphold professional ethical standards, and foster effective communication within their organizations. Social media represents a modern challenge, requiring clear policies to prevent breaches and maintain professionalism. Aligning organizational practices with legal requirements and ethical principles ensures that healthcare delivery is compassionate, lawful, and ethically justified, ultimately supporting the mission and values of institutions like UCCO.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021). Informed consent and minor patients. Pediatrics, 147(4), e2021050857.
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. ANA Publishing.
Chretien, K. C., Greysen, S. R., Chretien, J. P., & Kind, T. (2010). Online professionalism: A synopsis of the literature and recommendations for professional social media use. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25(11), 1219-1224.
Fried, J. (2018). Minors' rights to refuse treatment: A review of legal and ethical standards. Journal of Pediatric Ethics, 4(2), 78-84.
Gold, J. (2020). Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA): Implications for healthcare providers. Journal of Healthcare Law, 23(3), 45-59.
Mitchell, J. (2019). HIPAA violations and social media: Risks for healthcare organizations. Healthcare Compliance Journal, 12(4), 22-28.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020). Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html