Case Study.

Essay by matiaUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, April 2003

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The relationship between patient and practitioner is enmeshed in a very large and complex system that delivers the benefits of medical progress to the people. However, while Faith Community Hospital's mission statement consists of promoting health and well being to the people in the community, they are having a difficult time delivering the intended meaning behind their mission statement as most of their staff draw on his or her own interpretation of the mission statement and work independently to care for patients. Hospital care involves a vast array of highly trained medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, technicians, and therapists. The attending physicians who take charge of patient care within hospitals make sure that their patients have timely access to the correct people and services. Inappropriate decisions and poor allocation of resources could have dire consequences for the patient and, subsequently affect all the stakeholders. Faith Community Hospital is faced with organizational issues, ethical issues, communication issues, and financial issues.

In addition, news reports stating that medical errors cause tens of thousands of deaths each year, close to 100,000 in hospitals alone, does not facilitate bringing in new patients to the hospital.

Discussion

Faith Community Hospital currently operates with particular staff members being in charge, whether it is based on their religious beliefs or personal moral convictions, there is not a basic operational guideline that is followed. Each staff member has interpreted Faith Community Hospital's mission statement in a different manner and he or she is providing care to patients based on this interpretation. Some staff feel that they should not follow Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) directives while other staff are initiating DNR directives without written orders. DNR directives have legal standing stated in the Patient Self Determination Act of 1990 (PSDA). The PSDA requires Medicare and...