PHIL 210 Module Two Paper: Terminating a Patient & The Patient Care Partnership

Introduction to PHIL 210 Module Two Paper

Confidentiality is a cornerstone of ethical practice in healthcare. PHIL 210 Module Two Paper: Terminating a Patient & The Patient Care Partnership helps you to reflect on your personal beliefs and understand how these may align or conflict with professional expectations. The objective is to critically examine these ethical dilemmas and articulate well-reasoned positions supported by logical arguments and evidence. This Owlisdom How-To Guide will help students navigate the complexities of confidentiality, particularly in scenarios involving HIV-positive healthcare professionals and the use of social media during work hours.

HIV Positive Healthcare Professionals. Do you believe that healthcare professionals who are HIV positive should be required to disclose their positive status to patients before working with them? Provide a possible justification for keeping their HIV status private with rationale.

HIV Positive Healthcare Professionals

We will discuss HIV-positive healthcare professionals to start the PHIL 210 Module Two paper: Terminating a Patient & The Patient Care Partnership. 

• Begin by comprehensively understanding the ethical and professional implications of HIV-positive healthcare professionals disclosing their status to patients. Research relevant regulations, professional guidelines, and the potential impact on patient care and trust.
• Reflect on your personal beliefs regarding the disclosure of HIV status. Consider how your values, experiences, and the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence shape these beliefs.
• Construct a rationale for why keeping HIV status private might be justified. Consider arguments about privacy rights, the effectiveness of universal precautions, and the potential for discrimination or stigma.

Example

HIV Positive Healthcare Professionals

Disclosure of HIV Status: Ethical and Professional Implications

The question of whether HIV-positive healthcare professionals should disclose their status to patients is complex, involving ethical and professional considerations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), universal precautions are designed to prevent the transmission of HIV in healthcare settings. These guidelines emphasize that the risk of transmission from healthcare workers to patients is extremely low when proper precautions are followed. Thus, the necessity for disclosure is not supported by evidence of significant risk.

Personal Beliefs and Ethical Principles

Reflecting on personal beliefs regarding HIV status disclosure, it is essential to consider how values such as autonomy, beneficence, and non-maleficence influence these views. Autonomy respects patients’ right to make informed decisions about their care, which might suggest a need for disclosure. However, beneficence and non-maleficence, which focus on doing good and avoiding harm, support the idea that disclosure may not be necessary if it does not enhance patient safety and could instead lead to discrimination or stigma.

Justification for Keeping HIV Status Private

Justifying the privacy of an HIV-positive healthcare professional’s status can be rooted in arguments about privacy rights, the effectiveness of universal precautions, and the potential for discrimination. Privacy rights protect individuals from unwarranted intrusion into their personal health information. Universal precautions, as established by the CDC, effectively minimize the risk of HIV transmission, making disclosure redundant in terms of patient safety. Additionally, disclosing HIV status may expose healthcare professionals to discrimination and social stigma, potentially impacting their professional and personal lives adversely.

Social Media. Things are really slow during your shift at work, so you decide to break policy and use your phone to check social media. While scrolling through your feed, you see a co-worker’s post. Your colleague is at lunch, so posting isn’t an issue. However, the picture of their lunch plate clearly shows a beer bottle in the upper corner of the image. What do you do next? Does your answer change knowing that if you disclose that you were on social media on the clock, you’ll likely be disciplined with a write-up (having a write-up in your record will disqualify you from promotion or unit transfer for a full year)

Social Media Use During Work

Next, in PHIL 210 Module Two Paper: Terminating a Patient & The Patient Care Partnership. We will examine healthcare professionals’ use of social media during work.

• Examine the given scenario critically. Identify the key ethical and professional issues involved, such as policy violation, the potential impact on professional reputation, and the implications of your colleague’s behavior.
• Assess the situation using ethical frameworks and principles. Consider the duty of fidelity to your employer, the principle of honesty, and the possible outcomes of different actions.
• Reflect on the potential personal and professional consequences of your actions. Weigh the importance of adhering to a policy against the risks of being disciplined for checking social media during work hours.
• Develop a thoughtful and ethically sound response to the scenario. Articulate your steps and provide a rationale for your chosen course of action, balancing personal integrity with professional responsibility.

Example

Social Media Use During Work

Ethical and Professional Issues in the Scenario

Using social media during work raises several ethical and professional issues. The primary issue is violating workplace policy, which can affect professional reputation and career advancement. Additionally, observing a co-worker’s post with a beer bottle during lunch complicates the matter, as it could indicate potential unprofessional behavior, depending on workplace policies regarding alcohol consumption.

Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks

Applying ethical frameworks to this scenario involves considering principles such as fidelity to the employer, honesty, and the potential outcomes of different actions. Fidelity to the employer suggests adhering to workplace policies prohibiting social media use during work hours. Honesty would involve reporting the policy violation, but this could lead to personal repercussions, such as a write-up that affects future promotions or transfers.

Personal and Professional Consequences

Reflecting on the potential consequences, it is essential to weigh the importance of policy adherence against the risks of being disciplined. Reporting the incident may uphold professional integrity but could result in personal penalties, affecting career progression. Conversely, choosing not to report it could be seen as neglecting professional responsibilities.

Ethically Sound Response

A thoughtful and ethically sound response to this scenario would involve balancing personal integrity with professional responsibility. One approach could be to address the issue discreetly with the colleague, reminding them of the implications of their post without formally reporting the incident. This action respects the colleague’s privacy and professionalism while indirectly upholding the workplace policy. If the behavior persists, escalating the concern through appropriate channels may be necessary to maintain the professional standards of the workplace.

Closing

This PHIL 210 Module Two Paper: Terminating a Patient & The Patient Care Partnership, challenges students to grapple with the ethical dilemmas of confidentiality in healthcare. By critically examining these scenarios, students will better understand the complexities involved in maintaining confidentiality while adhering to professional standards. The key takeaway is balancing personal beliefs with professional ethics to ensure ethical and effective patient care. You can also read the PHIL 210 next module three discussion on What would you do?