For this assignment, you will evaluate a case study based on a hypothetical scenario involving health care management, patient care, and end-of-life considerations. You will utilize a formal decision-making process to evaluate this scenario based on the concepts and principles you have studied in this course and perhaps your own personal and career experiences.
Preparation
Read the Case Study Scenario [PDF] (attached) to complete this assignment.
Review the Ethical Case Study Evaluation Scoring Guide prior to beginning your work.
Use the Using the Scoring Guide to Enhance Learning [PDF] to better understand the scoring guide.
Use the Ethical Case Study Evaluation Template [DOC] (attached) for this assignment.
Scenario and Challenges
Jenny Abrams, the health care administrator at Brookside Hospital, is faced with a serious managerial challenge in the Case Study Scenario:
Ms. Abrams must initially use excellent communication, investigative, critical thinking, and decision-making skills to immediately assess and deal with the situation she is facing in her office when she arrives.
She will then need to investigate and evaluate the validity of the claims related to medical procedures performed and ethical behavior of staff to appropriately address them with the family and within her facility.
Finally, as an ethically minded manager and individual, Ms. Abrams must be sure that Brookside Hospital provides Mr. Nichols and his family the discharge and end-of-life support they require.
Imagine yourself in Ms. Abrams’s position, and work through the process outlined below.
Steps
For your evaluation of this case study, use tools and knowledge gained in your studies to gather and evaluate relevant facts, and recommend actions for Ms. Abrams to take to address the situation in an ethical manner.
Refer directly to Step 1: Gather the Facts, on pages 111–113 in the Ethics and Professionalism for Healthcare Managers text to perform and discuss the fact-gathering tasks for this section of the case study.
Clearly define the problem.
Determine whether the decision involves an ethical conflict.
Ascertain boundaries or ownership of the situation or problem.
Determine the internal and external stakeholders.
Identify the person who should be the decision-maker.
Gather data.
Identify and list the ethical principles and the non-moral concerns of the situation or problem.
Identify several possible options.