...Values and Ethical Decision Making MGT/521 August 13, 2012 Values and Ethical Decision Making Values are beliefs of what is right and wrong, whereas ethics are the application of those values into morally acceptable behavior. Following the many organizational scandals of the past few years, a new emphasis has been placed on managing businesses ethically. By operating ethically, businesses can earn a good reputation, gain customers, decrease employee turnover, prevent lawsuits, and avoid government intervention (Nickels, 2010). To make ethical decisions in the corporate environment managers must become aware of their own values and ethics and how they align or conflict with those of the organization they represent (Ethics Awareness Inventory). In studying the similarities and differences between Ben & Jerry’s organizational values and those of Team A, it was determined that when ethics and values align with the organization, it makes you a better employee. Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream was founded in May 1978. Since its formation, it has developed a unique three tiered mission statement focused on social, economic, and product goals. Its social mission is to continuously create new ways to improve the lives of people locally, nationally, and internationally. Economically, they operate with the goal of increasing profits for stake- holders, and expanding career opportunities for their employees. The product mission is to make, distribute, and sell natural ice...
Words: 1045 - Pages: 5
...Alford HCS/335 Ruby Wesley Shadow In order to make ethical decisions in the medical office setting, everyone should have a clear understanding of their role in the practice. Knowing the scope of their work allows employees to perform their jobs better and to keep from making mistakes that could reflect badly on the liable provider. In the case study that will be discussed, Jerry, the office assistant, is asked to refill a prescription for Valium, a controlled substance, without the doctor’s presence or authorization based on the word of the patient. Does Jerry’s Medical Training Qualify Him to Issue This Refill Order? Why or Why Not? According to the case study, Jerry’s job title is Office Assistant. He has professional training as a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse. Technically, Jerry’s medical training does qualify him to refill this order. Unfortunately, his current job title disqualifies since the doctor has neither authorized this prescription nor hired him as a nurse. Since Valium is a controlled substance and the patient stated that the doctor calls it in from time to time, there likely are no refills at the pharmacy, thus Jerry would be calling in a new prescription which is completed outside of the scope of his position. Would It Make A Difference If the Medication Was For Controlling High Blood Pressure That the Patient Critically Needs on a Daily Basis? Why or Why Not? As previously stated, Jerry’s current position does not allow for him to refill...
Words: 1106 - Pages: 5
...Google and their famous charter “Don’t be evil.” By always keeping to their charter, and having it be so simple that they can often easily answer to themselves about whether certain actions fall under their ideals, Google was able to make the difficult task of balancing the interest of all stake holders more manageable. I believe that by clearly stating and documenting simple values to be followed a company can look to do what is right in the face of competing stakeholder interests, and feel comfortable in the decisions they make. 2. Look at some of the causes that Ben & Jerry's promotes at http://www.benjerry.com/activism/inside-the-pint/. a. Do you agree with a firm adopting such blatant social causes? Do their positions make you more or less likely to buy their ice cream? b. Do you think Ben & Jerry's does a good job of interacting with its stakeholders and presenting its stakeholder approach on its website? c. Did Unilever's assurances that Ben & Jerry's approach would not change after they bought the company in August 2000 do...
Words: 1172 - Pages: 5
...Potential Ethical Complications for Medical Advice from Office Staff Andrea Sammut University of Phoenix Healthcare Ethics and Social Responsibility: HCS /335 March 28, 2011 Jodie Ausloos Potential Ethical Complications for Medical Advice from Office Staff Jerry is a medical assistant who is also and LPN (licensed practical nurse). Jerry is an employee of Dr. Williams’ a licensed medical doctor. Jerry’s responsibilities include administrative as well as patient-oriented tasks such as taking medical history and vitals. Jerry also shared the administrative during such as answering the phones. In this case study Jerry is alone in the office without the supervision of Dr. Williams. Jerry receives a call from a patient who also claims to be a friend of Dr. Williams requesting a refill on his prescription for Valium, a controlled anti-depressant medication. Jerry must make a decision on how to respond to the patients needs while taking legal and ethical ramifications into consideration. Medical assistant and LPN Qualifications and Responsibilities Jerry is a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse (LPN.) A LPN is generally a bedside nurse performing duties such as checking vital signs, administering injections, wound care, enemas, and catheters. LPN’s also gather information; update patient files with current conditions as well as medical history. Medical assistants have similar duties and LPN’s. Administrative tasks are often included in the duties...
Words: 1224 - Pages: 5
...what his client wants because doctors carry their cell phones because they are aware they might be needed in the office at any time. In case, Jerry will get approval from Dr. Williams, then he will go ahead and issue this refill order. In case, he will issue without consultation of Dr. Williams, then he will be in big trouble because it is against medical laws. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? Actually, Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue this refill order because he is not qualified to issue out the valium prescription. Being both assistant medical and LNP, means that he is not qualified to issue refill order. This is because it is not his work but the work of medical doctors who qualify to issue this refill. Even though Jerry may call Dr. Williams, it may be hard to be given prescription because there is what we call informed consent in medical ethics (Hall and Bobinski, 2003) This idea requires that an individual must be fully informed and understand the benefits and dangers of making treatment choice. A patient may make his own decision on certain treatment but medical laws authorize different processes of acquiring informed consent. Thus, the medical laws and ethics will bar Jerry from issuing this refill order because he may end up losing his job or be...
Words: 1083 - Pages: 5
...Ethics Case Study Ethics are the moral principles that dictate a person’s or group’s behavior and decision making process. Ethics are needed on a daily basis for making proper decisions for a collective approval of group of people or business. I will discuss a situation that has happened in a doctor’s office and analyze what is ethical and legal for the worker to do in the situation that he is presented with. In the scenario, Jerry McCall is an office assistant for Dr. Williams. Jerry also holds the title of Medical Assistant and a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Jerry is alone in the office when he receives a call from a patient saying he needs to have a prescription refilled for Valium, an antidepressant medication called in to the pharmacy right because he will be leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He also tells Jerry that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and he always gives him a small amount of Valium when he has to fly. One of Jerry’s ethical questions or a problem at hand is whether he can call the prescription in to be refilled. The answer to this is no. Jerry is not qualified to complete the request of the patient. He is currently working as an office assistant. Though he has other titles he still cannot perform the request. As a Medical Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse Jerry is not certified or qualified to call in a prescription to have it filled or refilled. The medication the patient is requesting to have refilled...
Words: 828 - Pages: 4
...“Not all good and evils are equal” (Garrett 2010). For the purpose of this paper the author was given a scenario. Jerry McCall is an office assistant that works at a doctor’s office. In this scenario, Jerry is presented with a problem where he can choose to prescribe medication with out the doctor’s authorization. Looking at this scenario from an ethical perspective the author will examine different aspect to what Jerry should do. For the author’s perspective, she believes that Jerry’s medical training might qualify him to issue the refill order but not in his current job. From an ethical perspective, the reason is that he was not hired as LNP or medical assistant; this means he does not have the power to write a refill order. For this scenario the medication that needed to be prescribed is antidepressant, if the medication requested were for control of high blood pressure is would still be unethical for Jerry to write a refill order. It would still be unethical because he is not allowed to write prescriptions in this current job, if he was to do so there could be some laws that can either effect him or protect him. If Jerry were to call in the refill for the patient and something goes wrong he could be responsible personally. However according to Cornell University of Law School, respondent superior is a legal doctrine that will hold the employer legally responsible for the wrongful acts of an employee (2015). If Jerry places the refill order, he will be protected but it...
Words: 464 - Pages: 2
...excellent patient care has become more pertinent to the lives of the patient’s especially if they are dealing with a specific sickness or disease that cannot be treated. The need for a patient to receive medical treatment can be very cost effective, and the insurance companies have made it very challenging for a patient to obtain medical insurance so that they are able to attain the proper care for their sickness. Ethics Case Study Today, most individuals are advised by private direction to be in agreement with performing illegal medical practice actions. However, if they are new to situations like this they will not be aware that making such decisions can lead to ethical and legal issues. In the case of Jerry McCall it gives an excellent explanation of how the health care departments have been modified today. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue the refill Order? Why or Why not? Jerry is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and has also had training in Medical Assisting (MA) as well, however even though he is a licensed nurse, he is not qualified to write prescriptions for patients’ medications regardless of the situation. The education that Jerry has obtained only qualifies him to take and monitor vital signs, measure and care for patient wounds, administer necessary injections, and if necessary periodically chart and oversee patients’ catheters and oxygen intake. Although the education that Jerry received to become a medical assistant gave him the ability...
Words: 1239 - Pages: 5
...Ethics Case Study Stacey HCS/335 September 22, 2011 Dr. Lawrence Fergus Ethics Case Study The purpose of this paper is to discuss a hypothetical case analysis involving Dr. Williams’ office assistant Jerry McCall. Jerry was in the office answering phones while the receptionist was at lunch when he received a call from a patient who stated he had an urgent need for a prescription called into the pharmacy. The patient was leaving town within minutes and needed the medication prior to catching his flight. The paper will discuss Jerry’s qualifications to write prescription medications. The doctrine of respondeat superior and how it applies to Jerry in this situation is discussed. Problem-solving methods and major legal and ethical issues that would be helpful in Jerry’s decision making are also conferred. Scope of Practice Jerry McCall is Dr. Williams’ office assistant. He is received training as both a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and a Medical Assistant (MA). However, according to the scope of practice of both an LPN and MA, neither is permitted to write prescriptions and call them into the pharmacy (Fremgen, B., 2009). An MA’s scope of practice does not allow for them to write, refill, or call in prescription medications under any circumstances. This practice does not fall within their scope of practice and doing so would be unethical and illegal. Writing prescriptions is not in the scope of practice of an LPN and therefore Jerry should not write this prescription...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...circumstances people in other professions do not face. One such situation is the case study involving Dr. William’s office assistant, Jerry McCall. While sitting in for the receptionist, Jerry receives a phone call from a long-time patient needing a last-minute refill called in for his antidepressant, Valium, before taking a flight. The patient tells Jerry Dr. Williams is a close friend. Jerry has some professional medical assistant and LPN training, but has no certification in either field, and no one else is available to fill the patient’s prescription. This study will examine if Jerry is qualified to call in the refill, bearing on the situation if the patient had critical need for the medication, and the ethical and legal stipulations and consequences concerned depending on Jerry’s possible choices. Qualifications A health care professional must have specific qualifications and certifications to order medication refills for patients (Fremgen, 2009). While he has training as an LPN and a medical assistant, Jerry McCall has no certification to work in either position, and if he had his certifications, neither position gives him the qualifications to call in the refill order for the patient. In addition, he is sitting in for the receptionist who also cannot call in a refill order. Type of Medication A patient being in critical need of a...
Words: 1197 - Pages: 5
...Ethics Case Study Everyday health care workers around the world are faced with tough decisions. The law guides many decisions but some decisions require ethical considerations. Making good ethical decisions is not always as easy as it seems. Making ethical decisions is even harder when the primary intention is to be helpful, but it is beyond an employee’s qualifications. Jerry’s Qualifications versus Necessary Qualifications Qualification as a medical assistant and a licensed practical nurse (LPN) does not qualify Jerry to fill, or even refill, any prescription. Only pharmacists, doctors, and other certified professionals can order medications. Jerry working as medical assistant means he is responsible for both administrative and clinical duties (Fremgen, 2009). Jerry is a LPN, which means that he is responsible for many of the same duties as registered nurses, which does not include filling or refilling prescriptions (Fremgen, 2009). Types of doctors who are allowed to write prescriptions include optometrists, veterinarians, podiatrists, clinical pharmacists, and dentists (University Health Care, 2008). Nurse practitioners, psychologists, and physician assistants can often prescribe and order medications. Because Jerry holds none of the fore-mentioned titles he is unauthorized to order a refill on a prescription. Does Type of Medication Make a Difference? Whether Jerry is refilling a prescription for blood pressure medication, blood thinners, or valium...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...Ben & Jerry’s Case Study By: Niesha M. Felder February 22, 2014 MRKT 454 1. What do you believe is Ben & Jerry's management orientation and view toward global expansion? Provide evidence from the case to support your opinion. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the forefathers of Ben and Jerry’s, management orientation skills were very unique, promoting a free spirit approach for employees. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were not the standard corporate managers, instead they were quite bias against traditional business practices because of the short-term interests as well as large profits; most commonly corporate managers are under pressure to produce shareholders’ demands. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield did not place emphasis or value, on cash, equipment and inventory; the “tangible assets” of the firm. Instead, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield focused on “intangible assets” such as social concerns, quality of life, charity, and reputation, but in their minds the “intangible assets” were just am important if not more important. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield business values were based on growth, shareholder value, and the overall care/quality of employees. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were intentionally slow to embrace the foreign market (Kursh, Lant, Majeske, Olver, Plant, 2014). Ben Cohen was quite reluctant to embark on global expansion because he felt that it did not coincide with the mission of Ben & Jerry’s. On the other hand, Jerry Greenfield...
Words: 1375 - Pages: 6
...assistant/LPN has encountered during his shift at Dr. Williams’s office and why the assistant must act under his scope of practice. Case: Jerry McCall is Dr. Williams’s office assistant. He has received professional training as both a medical assistant and a LPN. He is handling all the phone calls while the receptionist is at lunch. A patient calls and says he must have a prescription refill for Valium, an antidepressant medication, called in right away to his pharmacy, since he is leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. He says that Dr. Williams is a personal friend and always gives him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. No one except Jerry is in the office at this time. 1) Dose Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? No, Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue refills on the patient’s Valium order. Jerry McCall is both a medical assistant and an LPN (license practical nurse) neither certificate nor license grants the ability to write prescriptions. Medical assistants are unlicensed health care personnel that can only preform non-invasive technical support under the supervision of a licensed physician. A practical nurse also referred to as a licensed vocational nurse, typically works beneath the supervision of a registered nurse (RN). It is an entry-level health care job that is responsible for providing basic nursing care. According to the Medical Board of California, “Under the direct supervision of the...
Words: 799 - Pages: 4
...describe what a medical assistant’s job is and what tasks that they perform. A medical assistant’s roll is to complete the administrative and clinical tasks in the office for physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners to help make their jobs just a little bit easier. The jobs for a medical assistant will vary due to the location of a practice, the specialty of the practice, and size of the practice. A medical assistant’s job is to help a doctor with the administrative part in the office and the clinical duties so that a doctor will be able to see and receive patients a whole lot faster. A medical assistant must have graduated from an accredited program and they also have to pass a national certification exam. Does Jerry’s medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? Even though Jerry is certified as a medical assistant and has an LPN license, he is still not certified to fill out a prescription without doctor’s orders. A medical assistant can only call in a refill after he or she gets the approval from the doctor that has prescribed the medicine. If the matter is urgent then the medical assistant needs to call the...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...and Medical Training In the case study Jerry is an office assistant for Dr. William’s office. Jerry’s professional skill and training is in medical assistance and licensed practical nurse (LPN). At the time of day, the receptionist in Dr. Williams’s office was at lunch. In Jerry’s satisfaction he was in the position where he could be used the most, answering phones. A patient calls asking for a refill on the prescription drug Valium an antidepressant medication. The patient is asking for this prescription called in right away before leaving for the airport in thirty minutes. The patient states he is a personal friend of Dr. Williams and the doctor has always given him a small supply of Valium when he has to fly. Jerry’s training does not qualify him to make refilled medication request for patients. Because Jerry is not trained to look at the last clinical from the doctor, the dosage Jerry may or may not give the patient will cause an adverse effect. Prescription management based on the patients’ needs will be based on the recommendation of the physician. One must take in to account the age of the patient, disorder and other important information (not mentioned), Jerry may find it hard to give the correct dosage to the pharmacists. Valium and Controlled medications The issue of calling in the medication and refilling the order is something that Jerry is not licensed to do. In Jerry’s profession he is allowed to assist the office administration and to care for people who are...
Words: 1185 - Pages: 5
