Journal Entry For Unit 2: Reflective Essay ✓ Solved
Journal Entry for Unit 2 This is another reflective essay describing your personal stance on ethics in healthcare
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Sample Paper For Above instruction
Introduction
Ethics serve as the moral compass guiding healthcare professionals in delivering equitable, fair, and compassionate care. For healthcare administrators, understanding and embodying ethical principles are vital in fostering trust, ensuring compliance, and promoting a culture of integrity within healthcare institutions. This paper reflects on how Week 2’s assigned readings have shaped my perspective on healthcare ethics and explores strategies to advocate for my profession as a healthcare administrator.
Impact of Week 2 Readings on My Ethical Perspective
The assigned chapters for Week 2 emphasized core ethical theories such as deontology, consequentialism, and virtue ethics, all of which inform decision-making processes in healthcare. These theories underscore the importance of moral duties, the outcomes of actions, and the character of healthcare professionals (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019). The readings emphasized patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice—principles that are central to ethical practice in health settings.
Understanding patient autonomy was particularly impactful; it underscores the importance of respecting individuals' rights to make decisions about their own healthcare. The chapters highlighted challenges in balancing autonomy with beneficence, especially in cases where patients’ choices may conflict with clinical advice. For example, the ethical dilemma of respecting a patient’s refusal of treatment illustrates the need for healthcare administrators to support policies that uphold patient rights while ensuring safety and quality care.
Furthermore, the readings addressed distributive justice, advocating for equitable resource allocation and access to care. As healthcare administrators, promoting fairness in resource distribution and addressing disparities can significantly impact community health outcomes (White & Lo, 2019). These principles broaden the perspective from individual patient care to organizational and societal responsibilities, reinforcing the importance of ethical leadership.
Influence of Ethical Principles on My View of Healthcare Leadership
The core ethical principles from the readings have reinforced my understanding that leadership in healthcare involves moral responsibility. As an administrator, I must create policies that uphold ethical standards, foster transparency, and encourage ethical decision-making among staff. For instance, implementing training sessions on ethical dilemmas and decision frameworks can cultivate an ethical organizational culture.
Additionally, the readings clarified that advocacy in healthcare involves supporting policies that promote justice and fairness. I believe that advocating for continuous quality improvement, equitable access, and patient-centered care are essential roles of a healthcare leader. Sustainability and ethical resource management are also crucial, requiring transparent and just decision processes.
Strategies to Advocate for the Healthcare Profession
To be an effective advocate for my profession as a healthcare administrator, I plan to employ several strategies rooted in the ethical principles I have internalized:
- Promoting Ethical Education: I will prioritize ongoing ethics training for staff, emphasizing real-world dilemmas and moral reasoning skills.
- Encouraging Transparent Communication: Open communication fosters trust and accountability within healthcare teams and with patients. I will advocate for policies that support transparency in decision-making processes.
- Advocating for Patient Rights: Ensuring policies respect patient autonomy and confidentiality aligns with ethical standards and enhances trust.
- Addressing Disparities: By supporting initiatives that reduce health disparities, I advocate for justice and equitable access to care.
- Leading by Ethical Example: Demonstrating personal integrity and ethical behavior influences organizational culture positively.
Conclusion
The insights gained from Week 2’s readings have deepened my understanding of the moral foundations of healthcare ethics. As a future healthcare administrator, I recognize the importance of advocating for ethical practices, fairness, and patient-centered care. By fostering an organizational culture grounded in these principles, I can contribute to a healthcare environment that upholds moral integrity and promotes quality outcomes for all stakeholders.
References
- Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
- White, K., & Lo, B. (2019). Distributive Justice in Healthcare. Journal of Medical Ethics, 45(11), 677-687.
- Swick, D. (2019). Ethical Leadership in Healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Management, 64(4), 262-270.
- Aveyard, H., & Sharp, P. (2019). A Beginner’s Guide to Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare. Pearson Education.
- Snyder, L., & Dearden, J. (2020). Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare. Routledge.
- Gillon, R. (2015). Medical Ethics: A General Introduction. Cambridge University Press.
- Jonsen, A. R., Siegler, M., & Winslade, W. J. (2010). Clinical Ethics: A Practical Approach to Ethical Decisions in Clinical Medicine. McGraw-Hill Education.
- Kaldjian, L. C. (2018). Ethical issues in health care management. In J. M. Rosenstiel & T. A. Stewart (Eds.), Health Administration Ethics: A Perspective. Springer.
- Parens, E., & Asch, D. (2018). Justice and Fairness in Healthcare. Ethical Issues in Medicine, 7(2), 112-119.
- Slack, C., & Gostin, L. O. (2018). Public Health Ethics: Principles, Cases, and Concepts. Oxford University Press.