In this, the assistant can play a very important role. The physician and assistant together can for example work to resolve ethical dilemmas and find solutions with the help of the patient. It is important to remember the principle of meeting the patient's needs in such a case. As a leader in this field, I believe my first moral responsibility would be towards patients. They are to be treated according to the main principles mentioned above; with dignity and respect for their needs. My responsibility would also be to provide the professionals working under me with very clear guidelines regarding ethical issues. As such, my job would entail researching all ethical codes related to the medical profession. I would then combine these into a set of core principles. In practical terms, I would organize all the principles that are important in treating patients into a comprehensive document, in front of which I would summarize the core principles. Each professional working in my organization would then need to be aware of at least the core principles, and where in the document more information can be found regarding specific ethical issues. As a leader, I will also require my staff to conduct their own research on ethical issues, and bring to me any additional information that may be helpful in our quest to be of excellent service to patients. The first moral principle would therefore be service to patients.

Secondly it is also important to ensure that my staff are operating at an optimum level, again to ensure that the patients at my establishment receive the best treatment possible. My second moral obligation as a leader would therefore be to ensure the well-being of my staff. Each...

I will examine these critically, and discuss with my superiors any concerns or misgivings I may have, especially if any principle disagrees with my personal sense of morality and responsibility. Secondly, I would always place the interest of the patient above other considerations in treatment. Unless the patient is mentally incapable, I would let him or her make decisions regarding treatment.
As a leader my achievements for the future would therefore involve practicing my profession to the best of my ability, and to manage the organization where I lead with the utmost of care and adherence to ethics. I therefore envision an establishment where I would guide my subordinates and patients towards better health care and maintenance.

Sources

American Medical Association (2001, June 17). Principles of Medical Ethics. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2512.html

2006, Sept. 14). AMA activities to eliminate health disparities. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7983.html

Forester-Miller, Holly & Davis, Thomas. (1996). A Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making. American Counseling Association. http://ethics.iit.edu/codes/coe/amer.couns.assoc.practitioner.html

Rutecki, Gregory W. (2006, Aug 4). The Future of Medicine: When Will Quality and Safety Become Job Number One? http://www.cbhd.org/resources/healthcare/rutecki_2006-08-04_print.htm