Leaders encounter critical ethical dilemmas during their efforts to provide care and services to the clients. Among the areas where such issues are common is within the health care sector. The dilemmas arise in the event that one cause of action is likely to conflict with another while both of them might appear right (Woods, 2014). For example, when dealing with a patient, it is possible to encounter a situation where one possible decision is in the best interest of the client, while the same position goes against the right thing to do as per the service provider or the health care organization. The situations are very common, and the leader should always know what to do as guided by ethical frameworks in decision-making. One of the commonly used ethical principles is the deontological ethical model.
Conceptual Framework
One of the ethical frameworks that can be used in decision-making in health care is the deontological code. This concept looks at the character of the action and the ethics of duty. It considers the duty of the health care provider to offer services for the greatest good of the patient. Unlike other models such as utilitarianism, the model tends to be patient-centered. Regardless of the consequences, harm is unacceptable (Marquis & Huston, 2017). Use of this model means that the decision made is for the good of the individual and not necessarily the society. By nature, the relationship between the care provider and the patient is deontological in nature. In fact, it is about the general good of the patient.
Work Environment
While working as a leader, I have encountered a number of ethical dilemmas. One of them was in a health care environment. I have encountered situations that require balancing the needs of the patient and the cost of care for the organization. The pharmaceutical companies have brought very costly treatment, some of which some patients are not able to afford. At the same time, there are generic treatments that are cheaper, but less effective. Many of the patients that are under our care are not able to afford the costly treatment options. The ethical dilemma arises from the need to provide safe and quality care within the cost parameters (Martin, 2014). It is a delicate balance because providing the effective procedures will jeopardize the ability to pay.
Analyzing Implications
Moral Implications
The morality of an action depends on what the individual actor believes to be the right or wrong. In the situation, the leader will have to look from deep within the self to determine the best cause of action. As a moral actor, the best cause of action is to provide the patient with the most effective medical care and not considering the cost. The cost for the health care should take the second priority after the patient has received the safe and quality care. It is a moral duty to protect the life of a fellow human being without caring about what it will cost. In the situation, the concern will be to use the most effective treatment to save the life of the patient (Disch, 2014). The idea is critical in advocating for the best outcomes for the patients.
Ethical Implications
The ethical code necessitates that the care for the patient should take a priority. The decision to provide effective treatment to the patient emanates from the ethical duty of the providers to care for the patient. The focus should be on caring for the client to restore health without taking undue consideration on what it will cost the healthcare system (Woods, 2014). Deviation from the act of caring based on other factors will be unethical. Therefore, for the care provider, the most ethical act will be to provide timely and effective care to the patient and then take into account the cost and the sources of funds afterward. Any other act will be a contravention of the ethical code of duty that guides health care service provision.
Legal Implications
From a legal perspective, the situation can be considered through the lens of medical negligence. When the patient comes to a health care facility, he/she has the right to receive the most effective and quality care (Marquis & Huston, 2017). As long as the medical resources are available, they should be used by the provider to care for the patient. The cost of care should not be used as the basis for denying that kind of care. In this case, the care provider can be sued for negligence when it is proven that the kind of care that could have saved the life of the patient was denied because of cost (Laureate Education, 2012a). The case can end up being very costly for the provider and the health care facility.
Moral Agent
The moral agent is one with the capacity to act in an ethical right manner. The person is able to distinguish between the right and the wrong and has accountability for the decision he/she takes. As a moral agent, it is necessary to avoid causing undue harm. In the situation, as a moral agent, I will take the cause of action that will prevent any harm to the patient (Woods, 2014). Denying patients a proper treatment based on the cost is morally wrong because it could even lead to death. Hence, as a moral agent, I will not allow the cost of the treatment to be the basis for the decision that I will make. The positive outcome for the patient is what will be the grounds for my decision. My role as a moral agent is to ensure that all the decisions I make are founded on the morality of the action that I take.
Leadership Style
My Keirsey assessment results indicate that my personality type is that of a guardian. My particular type of guardian is a guardian provider. The leadership style that goes well with this personality style is servant leadership. I am an individual who is inclined more to serving than in being served. The style goes well with my career as a care provider and the leadership position. Leadership in health care requires the kind of leader who has the interests of others at heart (Marquis & Huston, 2017). The style also serves me well when I have to make decisions relating to the care for my patients. I always make decisions that are guided by morality and the propensity to care. I always make sure that the needs of other people are met in a safe and secure environment. My focus is always on the positive outcomes for those who depend on me for their care and wellbeing. The emphasis is not only when dealing with the patients but also those who work under me (Cianci, Hannah, Roberts, & Tsakumis, 2014). Such leadership allows for the followers to become better at providing care.
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