A code of ethics is a set of guidelines that outlines how people should conduct themselves while carrying on with their duties. Ethics entails actions and decisions that determine a person’s moral code. Senior healthcare leadership directs the activities of the entire healthcare facility towards specific goals, purposes, and values. Establishing a code of ethics supported by senior leadership in healthcare is important because it enables proper decision making, inspires ethical practices among other nurses, and promotes quality of care and professional development.
Senior healthcare leaders are involved in critical organization decisions. Establishing a code of ethics ensures that all decisions made by the healthcare organization follow the required ethical and moral guidelines. The senior leaders decide what is wrong or right based on their ethical guidelines. The critical decisions that senior healthcare leadership may face include mergers, financial decisions, patient safety, and quality improvement. Senior leadership can make the best decision by following a code of ethics.
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Senior leadership that supports and follows an ethical code will inspire ethical practices among nurses. Establishing an ethical code and not supporting it with the appropriate actions will lead to a failure in implementing the codes. Senior leaders and the entire administration should support the ethical code by being a role model and using ethical-based leadership. Doing this will be part of walking the talk (Morrison, 2006). Senior leaders that use ethical codes should inspire other nurses to act ethically.
Establishing and supporting a Code of Ethics in senior leadership in healthcare can realize multiple benefits for the healthcare environment. Barkhordari-Sharifabad et al. (2018) note that nursing leaders that observe ethical codes experience multiple benefits such as inner satisfaction, employee job satisfaction, and patient satisfaction. Ethical behaviors result in the provision of better services and inspire productivity of employees. The overall outcome is an improvement in the quality of care and the professional development of nurses.
In conclusion, a senior leadership that establishes and supports a code of ethics can enable proper decision-making, inspires ethical practices among other nurses, and promotes quality of care and professional development. The senior leadership should establish a code of ethics and use it to support critical decisions. The leaders should support the ethical code and inspire other nurses to act ethically.
References
Barkhordari-Sharifabad, M., Ashktorab, T., & Atashzadeh-Shoorideh, F. (2018). Ethical leadership outcomes in nursing: A qualitative study. Nursing Ethics , 25 (8), 1051-1063. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0969733016687157
Morrison, E. E. (2006). Ethics in health administration: a practical approach for decision-makers . Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
