Lastly, there is a young resident doctor who is requesting expensive, fruitless tests for patients that have no hope of survival. His thought has to be that maybe, just maybe he will run across something that a more senior, more skilled doctor may have missed.
I am starting to re-think my "Let It Pour" attitude from this morning. This assignment grows more and more daunting by the minute. I am just thankful that I am not the hospital CEO.
Solutions to the Problems.
The first problem I picked up on was the issue of our staff not providing proper medical care to out patients on the basis that some of the procedures infringe on their religious beliefs. Nurses and doctors in a hospital have a duty to provide medical care to patients, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Nurse's and doctors rights stop when they are harming others.
All health professionals have a duty of care to all their patients. It is neither ethical nor professional to exclude any person or group from treatment because they do not conform to our religious or personal views. (Tonbridge: Feb 11, 2002. p. 30 ) Our staff member's actions are totally inappropriate.
Another issue faced here at the hospital in a patient refusing medical care. As new immigrants flock to the United States each year, it becomes more challenging and important for health care professionals to be sensitive to cultural and religious traditions different from their own while still providing optimal care for these patients. Confounding the influx of unfamiliar cultures is the relative lack of knowledge among medical professionals about other cultural groups. This can, at best, lead to misunderstanding and, at worst, compromise the care and treatment of a patient. (Brow JA. Dental Assistant [NLM - MEDLINE]. May-Jun 2002. Vol. 71, Iss. 3; p. 26) Part of being a care-give is being compassionate, listening to your patients, trying to understand them and their culture.
