Critical Decision-Making in Patient Safety and Organizational Performance
Assessment Description
View the scenario called "Critical Decision Making for Providers" found in the Allied Health Community media.
Mike is running late again. The last time he spoke with his supervisor, he promised he would be on time. Mike even left his home 20 minutes earlier than usual, but there was an accident on his commute. The job is very important to Mike. He is the sole provider for his wife and newborn baby, but his supervisor told him that if he continued to be late he might face termination. Upon arriving, Mike observes a spill on the floor. He must make a decision: stop and make sure the spill is cleaned up or ignore it all together. If he safeguards the spill, surely he will be late clocking in and could face losing his job. Anyway, the spill is in another work area, and perhaps it will be cleaned up while he is clocking in. What decision should he make?
In a 1,000-1,250-word paper, examine the scenario involving Mike, the lab technician, and discuss the following:
Discuss the consequences of a failure to report.
Explain the impact his decision had on patient safety and organizational performance (risk for litigation, organization's quality metrics, the workload of other hospital departments, etc.).
As Mike's manager, describe how you would address the issue with him and the steps you would take to ensure other staff members do not repeat the same kind of mistake.
Reflect on the scenario and describe what underlying aspects or issues may be contributing to workplace dilemmas such as this.
Consider the manner in which most health care organizations function (structure, people, technology, environment). As a leader, discuss what principles of organizational behavior and development can be applied to effectively contribute to the success of a health care organization. How could these principles be applied to this scenario?
A minimum of three academic references from credible sources are required for this assignment.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:
BS Health Sciences
4.1: Apply the principles of organizational behavior and development in order to effectively contribute to the success of health care organizations.
Critical Decision-Making and Organizational Performance
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Critical Decision-Making and Organizational Performance
Consequences of a Failure to Report
Mike is facing a dilemma on whether or not to clean up the spill or not based on the foreseeable consequences. However, the failure to report will have critical consequences on the organization due to the impact it might have on patient outcomes. Accidents and injuries to patients or staff members may emanate from the spill. In this case, the decision not to clean up in fear of clocking late affects the entire organization. Reporting the spill after clocking should offer an alternative decision, but Mike can only hope no incident arises before reporting.
Impact of the Decision on Patient Safety and Organizational Performance
The decision not to clean the spill will have critical effects on patient safety and organizational performance. First, the spill increases the risk of an accident and injuries to patients, for the consequences include litigation and poorer quality ratings. Depending on the extent of the spill and the amount of work needed to clean, the decision to leave it will cause other departments to face more workload for their staff. Similarly, the risk of accidents to staff members is increased, which might lead to litigation and costly claims for the organization. Besides performance and quality consequences, the financial burden potentially arising from Mike’s decision will be significant.
Addressing the Issue as Mike’s Manager
Mike’s manager can address the issue with Mike by letting him know that the safety of the patients will always be a priority. Considering the nature of the dilemma, the manager can give Mike the freedom to choose what is best for the organization by safeguarding him from the consequences of the alternative choice. In this case, the manager should advise Mike that cleaning the spill and reporting the incident to the supervisor should allow for an exception. However, it would be difficult for the manager to reprimand Mike considering that his biggest fear is losing his job. Additionally, the manager can listen to Mike to understand the issues he is facing in his personal life, understand his choices, and determine if there is any support that Mike would need to help him make better choices in the future.
Mike’s manager can also take various steps to ensure that other staff members do not repeat the same mistakes. The first step is reiterating the organization’s code of conduct/ethics provisions, which should guide all ethical decisions and other organizational behaviors (Grigoropoulos, 2019). The expectation from Mike is that he would do what is best for the organization as opposed to prioritizing his interests. The second step would be to use Mike’s situation as a case study of how employees should approach ethical dilemmas. The lessons from Mike teach that the consequences of specific actions can be detrimental to the organization. Therefore, all employees have a responsibility to ensure patient safety. The last step should be to offer a guideline on the organization handle the consequences of alternative actions in the case of a dilemma. The manager could clarify that personal consequences can be waived when an employee decides in the organization’s interest.
Issues Causing Ethical Dilemmas
Reflecting on the scenario reveals several issues that contribute to workplace dilemmas. Ethics training is one issue since many dilemmas tend to have ethical implications. In Mike’s case, leaving the spill to save...