While the practice of the medical profession advocates for collective and individual responsibility and discretion in making a decision, it may be inappropriate to allow physicians to operate outside universally acceptable standards. There should be core values and principles that are shared by members of the medical profession. Working in contravention of these guiding principles is unacceptable (Porto and Lauve 1). The medical professional code of conduct and ethics guiding physicians bestows the responsibility on the physician making them accountable for their actions. Physicians are expected, at all times, to uphold integrity, professionalism, intellectual honesty, and duty of care not only to patients, but also to fellow physicians and facilities. In this case, Dr.North falsely records the readings and makes assumptions. This is wrong as the physician is always anticipated to put the interest of the patient first. The physician owes the duty of care to the patient, whether the patient can talk or not and any acts centrally to this, amount to professional negligence. Diagnostic and therapeutic treatments ought to be performed in a timely, clinically appropriate, and sensitive manner to meet the patients’ needs.
One ought to know the limitations of their expertise and seek assistance in clinical situations where appropriate. Medical practitioners are morally obliged to disclose any physical or psychological impairment that might hinder them from performing their duties effectively. The state Dr. North is in, (tired), perhaps suffering from fatigue, completely bars her from attending to any patient. To increase conformity to best practices there should be a mechanism to review the physical and emotional wellbeing of physicians.
Physicians should anticipate their colleagues’ character and ensure that at all times it adheres to the generally accepted standards of the medical profession. In addition, they need to ensure that shared values, competency such as integrity, moral responsibility, and quality are not compromised. They should individually and collectively, discern the workmates who might be suffering from any form of impairment so that the matter is brought to the attention of the administration. They should also devise strategies of helping the victims address the problems or recommend solutions as to how their suffering colleagues can be helped. It is important to point thatDr. North situation should be reported to an appropriate officer in charge, for action to be taken.
They should cultivate a culture of self-improvement and inculcate the discipline of proactive learning in order to expand knowhow on clinical matters. No one has a complete monopoly of information and all must be prepared to feel challenged. “They should advance medical knowledge, promote ethically and scientifically sound research, and educate colleagues” (Porto and Lauve 1). At no point, should one ignore the contribution of others, if indeed, it is reasonable. There should be a clear communication line with other physicians to optimize patient care and promote good mastery of the profession.
In the medical profession, one needs to take responsibility for every action and mitigate any future problems that are likely to occur. The problem of impairment may be due to internal or external factors beyond the control of the person and can always be sorted out in case of a problem (Porto and Lauve 1). Thus, it is advisable to report an impaired physician to relevant authorities, so that it can be investigated and proper measures undertaken. It not only saves the day, but also promotes good practices within the medical arena. Impairment erodes one’s capacity to discharge the duties with utmost honesty and professional care. The society has a responsibility of ensuring that conditions of physicians are reported.
Works Cited
Porto, Grena., and Lauve, Richard. Disruptive Clinician Behavior: A persistent Treat to Patient Safety. Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare. 2006. Web.