Good discussion points by Brent (a former colleague of mine) and Chris. Just because you are not following a rule or a policy does not mean you are being unethical. And following the rules/policy doesn't mean you are. Rules and policies are made to be broken- and they are in place for many/most situations- but they can not and do not apply to every single situation. Much like hospital gowns- despite the tags, they are not "one size fits all". I have long held the belief that following rules and policy does not make you ethical. The hospital where I have been working has a service philosophy- "Do the right thing" The RN who ran orientation told us a story about her dying patient who wanted to see her dog (against policy/rules). At the time she was working nights. She allowed the patient's husband to bring the dog in to the hospital one night to see her. As she said- "Was it against policy? Of course. But was it the right thing to do? Absolutely." Obviously I remember that story 2 years later and took it to heart because it is a philosophy that I subscribe to myself. And when I find myself in a situation where I might be "bending" or "breaking" a rule or policy I ask myself- "Is it the right thing to do? Why?".
Breanne -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
