As a health care professional, each day decisions are faced requiring the use of Ethical Theory. Ethical Theory in general refers to the classification of actions into right and wrong (Clark, Cott, & Drinka, 2007). The American College of Healthcare Executives (2007), allows health care professionals to evaluate their decisions in relationship to ethics through an online self-assessment. The purpose of this paper is to explore what was learned about my own ethical decision-making from the assessment. Also discussed will be the affect and influence of professional ACHE standards on my decision making. Furthermore, strategies will be described to improve my ethical decision-making.
By completing the self-assessment, I learned that my personal ethical decision-making is satisfactory. I found that my decisions are compliant and always based on providing substantial care for patients and not for personal benefits. I am a leader concerning promoting ethical behavior. I do not judge patients based on their ability to pay, nor misguide patients when discussing their medical necessities. I currently am a pharmacy technician and daily our staff serves Medicaid beneficiaries. These are patients who have state funded insurance and pay a very low co-pay because of income limitations. Knowing that these patients may not be able to afford the best medication on the shelf, it is still my ethic duty to discuss all of options of therapy. I also learned that I am very comfortable discussing ethical practices and am never afraid to consult with a colleague before making a decision.
The American College of Healthcare Executives places high standards on health care professionals. These expectations include acting to, “enhance the overall quality of life, dignity and well-being of every individual needing healthcare service and to create a more equitable, accessible, effective and efficient healthcare system” (American College of Healthcare Executives, 2007, p. 4). In fall...