Whistle blowing and Upholding Ethical Principles in Healthcare

In healthcare organizations, ethical principles have been emphasized mostly through procedures and mission statements. The numerous oaths (Hippocratic Oath) and declarations found in healthcare institutions have stated principles and values, and this has formed the basis for ethical practices. The works of such ethical principles include and are not limited to nonmaleficence, beneficence, confidentiality, respect for the autonomy of patients, and justice (Gabel, 2011).
The ethical principles of an organization that I served previously influenced the care of patients negatively because of the frustrations and stress coming from the administrative personnel. Moreover, some of the colleagues who witnessed such unethical practices experienced conflict concerning the said ethical principles and this potentially led to their increase in stress levels, burnout, and demoralization. The professional practices of the organization were also unethical because some of the health care professionals used to derive personal incomes for referring patients to particular laboratories to undergo unnecessary tests or procedures. In such instances, the physician is also known to have a pecuniary interest, information of the procedures conducted had insufficient information, and even referrals meant payments increased and the splitting of fees (Gabel, 2011).
Other questionable issues about the ethical commitments of the healthcare organization related to bureaucracy and financial pressures resulting in the early discharge of patients from the hospital. Moreover, the ethical orientation of the healthcare facility was under scrutiny due to its incapability to admit a patient to the hospital due to their insurance status. Such pressures have also led health care professionals to provide patients with a substandard type of care because their insurance coverage is insufficient (Gabel, 2011).
The view taken by healthcare professionals on cases of unethical behaviors differs from those of their colleagues or organizational leaders due to the pressures they are facing. The nurses fear repercussions, labeling by other colleagues, retribution and blame. This raises concerns because reporting of such unethical practices and procedures would be high-risk and with low-benefit (Attree, 2007). For many of the nurses, the confidence they have about reporting the incidences was not worth risking their careers. However, when unethical practices are evident in the organization, then internal conflict are bound to develop. In such instances, professionals from those health care organizations and professionals failed to reconcile their values with what they perceived to be misleading, false and hypocritical to their organization (Attree, 2007).
Some of the factors resulting in whistleblowing incidents include the ethical climate of the organization, philosophical values of the organization and healthcare professionals, anonymity, job satisfaction, the enforcement of a code of ethics, and organizational commitment among others (Tariman, 2007). Such whistleblowing incidents have given employees important roles that assure the safety of patients, and this would enhance the quality of care within the organization. Nonetheless, the contribution brought about by whistleblowing activities should not blind people to the fact that whistleblowing has had a torturous history, especially in healthcare organizations. For example, some of the whistleblowers in healthcare organizations have lost their jobs, and those who remain are blacklisted by their colleagues (Lachman, 2008). Having such working environments will mean that the person suffers and this may lead to long-lasting health problems and other documented personal issues.
Clinicians face certain common situations concerning whistleblowing because of the overlap in the circumstances. Firstly, when a healthcare organization experiences systematic failure, trust issues arise about providing the nursing faculty with adequate resources. Secondly, the request of reviewing the outcomes of the clinical department and the review of a poor clinical outcome involving single nurses over time require whistle blowing. Lastly, the anticipation and reporting of single events that brings catastrophic measures to the organization (Tariman, 2007).


References
Attree, M., (2007). Factors influencing nurses’ decisions to raise concerns about care quality Journal of Nursing Management, 15, 392-402.
Gabel, S. (2011, May). Ethics and values in clinical practice: whom do they help? In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 86, No. 5, p. 421). Mayo Foundation.
Lachman, V. D. (2008). Whistleblowers: Troublemakers or virtuous nurses? Dermatology Nursing, 20, 390-393.
Tariman, J. D. (2007). When should you blow the whistle for ethical reasons? ONS Connect, 22(2), 22-23.