Table of Contents

Lessons 1. Reducing Liability Go Go 2. Ethics Go Go 3. Ethical Dilemmas Go Go

Table of Contents  Liability refers to being legally responsible for causing harm.  Personal liability refers to health care workers being responsible for causing harm.  Supervisory liability refers to supervisors of health care workers being responsible for workers causing harm.  Employer liability refers to employers of health care workers being responsible for workers causing harm.

Table of Contents  Follow policies and procedures  Keep proper documentation  File event reports and keep anecdotal records  Use problem solving skills  Apply risk management

Table of Contents  Policies are the principles that direct the facility’s activities. Policies state what the facility does.  Procedures are the methods the facility uses to carry out its policies. Procedures explain how the facility operates.

Table of Contents  Health care workers should properly record all aspects of patient care, including maintaining patients’ medical records.  If health care providers warn a patient of a potential danger and the patient ignores the warning, the patient is responsible for any injury. Health care workers should be sure to document if patients disregard such warnings.

Table of Contents  If accidents or violations occur in health care facilities, health care workers must file event reports. Event reports include information about the accident or violation from any involved individuals.  Anecdotal records are personal accounts of events. Health care workers hold anecdotal records in their own possession.

Table of Contents  Identify the problem: What is the basis of the problem? What is causing the problem?  Identify the objective that must be achieved: What is the goal? What must be accomplished? What is the big picture?  Identify the circumstances that affect the problem: What are the facts? What is preventing the goal or task from being accomplished?  Name all possible solutions: How might the problem be eliminated? How might the goal be adapted?  Make and implement a plan: Which solution will be the most effective? Is the solution reasonable?  Evaluate the results: Did the solution solve the problem?

Table of Contents  Risk management is a process of identification, evaluation, and prevention. ▫Identifies harm to patients, staff, and visitors ▫Evaluates the information ▫Uses the results to prevent predicted harm ▫Reduces liability and loss to health care facilities

Table of Contents  Laws are rules of conduct enacted and enforced by governments.  Ethics are rules of proper conduct among a group of people, such as a religion or profession.  Morals, also known as personal ethics, are an individual’s personal values.

Table of Contents  A code of ethics is a list of written statements describing proper conduct for a group of people.  A code of ethics for health care workers includes: ▫Autonomy ▫Fidelity ▫Beneficence ▫Nonmaleficence ▫Veracity ▫Confidentiality ▫Justice

Table of Contents  Associations for many health care professions have established specific codes of ethics.  Health care workers should become aware of their profession’s code of ethics.

Table of Contents  Ethical dilemmas occur when moral beliefs conflict.  Bioethical dilemmas are dilemmas that involve health care and biological sciences.