Moral awareness occurs when an individual comes to the point where he or she appreciates the ethical aspects of a decision he has to make. In the case of Matt Losinski, this point came when he read an article about the repeat admissions in Emergency Departments in Texas. The article opened his mind [Avoid colloquial expressions in APA writing. use www.thesaurus.com to help you with verbiage selection.], and he realized the problem might be happening at the CGH. It was a question of ethics because more resources are directed at a few patients, leading to poor services to the majority of the patients served by the facility [Which ethical principle does this reflect?]. Moral Judgment Moral judgment occurs when one is faced with a moral dilemma. In the case of Matt Losinski, he is faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, he knows that repeat admissions at the emergency department is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. The hospital is a public facility and resources are tight. Hence, they cannot afford to lose any resource through unnecessary admission. On the other hand, he has no solid facts that can win him the support of the other managers and the executive committee. For instance, his investigations have only managed to show a few patients fall in the category, and the cost is fully covered both by insurance as well as the patients. Hence, on the surface, he appears to have no valid case. Ethical Behavior Ethical behavior relates to the ethical decision one takes to address a dilemma. In the case of Matt Losinski, he introduces the issue at the executive committee meeting [Which ethical principle does his behavior reflect?]. It is the body that has the ability to introduce changes in the hospital admission system to address the issue of repeat admission. It is the right forum to discuss this issue. He fails to get the support he anticipated, but at least a few members are convinced. The effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Study One of the ethical practices captured in the study is beneficence that requires healthcare professionals to act in the best interest of the client [Great mention of an ethical principle and defining the term using your own words. Which source used discusses beneficence for the in-text citation? Remember to cite all information which is not an original thought as not doing so places your paper at risk for being considered as plagiarized.]. In this instance, Losinski is acting to protect the rights of patients to access high-quality services. His actions are meant to release more resources to improve service delivery. The other principle is efficiency which requires health professional to apply available resources in the best way possible (Schröder-Bäck, Duncan, Sherlaw, Brall, & Czabanowska, 2014) [Correct citation format for the first-time use of a source with multiple authors.]. The impact of efficiency is more health benefits to a greater number of people [Is efficiency an ethical principle?]. The CEO did well in his responsibilities to resolve the problem. Immediately he realized the possibility of the existence of unnecessary admissions in the EDs; he started a process of investigating the issue. This culminated in the presentation made in the executive committee. However, he failed to convince the committee of the need to take action. He is therefore stuck with a system he knows is inefficient. The lessons learned here is that public health is a system and hence the need for all components to work together. Besides, the culture within the system has a huge impact on the healthcare outcomes. In this case, in spite of the resource constraints brought about by a change in ownership, the old culture persists. Therefore, there is a need to ensure existing culture is compatible with the change in the operating environment. Possible Solutions The solution to this problem is to change the culture of the organization to align it with the realities of the operating environment [What steps will promote this change in organizational culture?]. A cultural shift will be crucial in ensuring systematic factors that have perpetrated the admissions of minor nonspecific conditions at the Emergency Department, and missed reimbursement from Medicaid are addressed [How will the CEO foster this cultural shift?]. The approach will help Losinski be more effective in building relationships across the departments in the organization. A cultural shift is a better solution because it involves all departments. There is a need to conserve resources, and this involves a review of operating procedures and elimination of wastages. It is a process that requires the involvement of all departments because success depends on the contribution of all through improved relationships and coordination of efforts (Gruneir, Cigsar, Wang, Newman, & Bronskill, 2018). Ultimately, it is the system that has perpetrated wastages that are fixed, thus leading to improved service to the clients. The success of the proposed solutions deeply relies on professional collaboration. Its implementation requires departments to cooperate in improving synergy and eliminating wastes. For instance, there must be a common definition of ‘minor nonspecific conditions,’ how to identify them and action to be taken. However, looking at the interaction with Scott and the outcomes of the executive committee meeting, Losinski should expect tough resistance and even breakdown of relationships. Therefore, should Losinski fail to win the support of the management, the process is bound to fail as changing the status quo will not be easy. Conclusion The case brings to the fore the fact that ethical principles must be supported by the operationalization of the appropriate culture within the hospital setting. The right attitude produces staff who are receptive to change and able to go the extra mile to deliver on their mandate. In the case of CGH, the hospital commitment to public service was hampered by a poor system which staff and the leadership had gotten used to after years of the facility being in the hands of county government. Improving the conditions at the hospital will require a realization of the problem by all departments and members. This will help in reshaping the status quo and changing the organizational culture to accommodate the new changes within the hospital. [Nice conclusion. A strong conclusion goes hand-in-hand with a strong introduction and restates the thesis statement, summarizes the sub-points of your paper, and leaves the reader with an interesting final impression of your topic.]
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