The role of moral agency in healthcare organizations

¶ … Stand

The author of this response is asked to answer to four major action items. The first item asks the writer to describe one's role as a moral agent as an instrument to urge or point people towards a certain outcome in a work environment or within an organization with which the writer is familiar. The second outcome is to explain one or more negative outcomes that may result from this role not being fulfilled. The third question asks the writer to analyze the skills, dispositions, and/or strategies that would help the writer fulfill this task. Lastly, the writer is to explain the motivation for the writer taking a stand even when it is difficult to impossible to maintain one's willpower while doing so.

Moral Agent

Healthcare has become a lightning rod for criticism and invective since the Affordable Care Act, otherwise referred to as "ObamaCare," was debated and passed under very tenuous and slight circumstances in 2010. Some notable delays and other issues with ObamaCare in the recent weeks has amplified the topic as well as fights over whether religious-oriented institutions like Catholic hospitals and the like must cover things like birth control and other contraception items (Howell, 2013)(Stempel, 2013).

The author of this report has convictions and beliefs that are strong and fertile but the writer also understand that acting on those beliefs in an organization that is not ran by the writer can result in discipline or even termination if the writer is not careful. However, it is the writer's choice to work for the organization in the first place and the writer can always find other work if it comes to that.

That being said, that does not mean that the writer's place as a moral agent is entirely usurped. There are ethical standards and bylaws that should never be violated by a medical professional no matter how much the person agrees or disagrees with the actions or opinions at hand. For example, if the writer worked at a pain management clinic and a doctor there was giving out hydrocodones like it is candy, then that would be a moral violation even though the prescriptions are valid on their face (Girion & Glover, 2013). It may come down to perception of deception on the part of the patient, but it should be looked into by the relevant authorities since there may or may not be a violation happening as far as proper care is concerned. However, that is the determination of the applicable medical boards. That is but one example of how one can be a moral agent without pushing one's views on another, which is often not proper or ethical in a medical setting as people's medical choices are usually (and should be) their own.

Negative Outcomes

As noted above, the invective that is hurled back and forth about national healthcare policy and choices on items such as contraception, abortion and even pain management can land people in the proverbial crosshairs even if they are not intending to insert themselves into the fray. Negative consequences can include being heckled by protestors, being harassed by coworkers or outside parties with disparate political beliefs and so forth. Being forced out of one's job due to firing or constructive firing is also possible.

When to Act

When the decision comes to act, the motivation to act is clear. Action is necessary because something is or is likely occurring and it needs to stop if it is what it appears to be. If a doctor is feeding the habits of junkies, they need to be curtailed. If an abortion provider is engaging in unsafe practices or in illegal late term abortion, then that should be looked into. However, if the law and relevant medical standards are being complied with, then the only choice a moral agent can undertake is whether they choose to remain in that situation as they cannot force the hand of someone who is not violating their medical license or the letter of the law even if the moral agent thinks that morality standards are being trodden on.

Conclusion

In the end, people have to understand that decisions about morality, religion and such are all individual ones and there is often little to nothing that can (or should) be done about it in many cases other than making the decision to associate with a different employer, different friends and so forth. This can be a tough pill to swallow but it is a lesson that we all must learn. We are all only responsible for ourselves and the people we are responsible for like children and so forth. Asserting or portending otherwise can violate the personal space and beliefs of others and that is wrong.