The article 2,200 nurses strike at University of Chicago Medical Center by Ralph Ellis, and Brad Parks outlines key ethical issues and a moral dilemma experienced by nurses; they are contemplating whether they should go back to work and uphold their ethical standards or go on strike to fight for their rights. Accordingly, the union of nurses had a sitting with the hospital’s management but did not reach an agreement, which further propelled the nurses to take industrial action ( Ellis & Parks, 2019 ).
The action by the nurses was a legal right, but it was morally wrong. Nurses are expected to give patients primary care when they come into the hospital and also a follow up after the doctor has examined them. Striking means that there is no medical practitioner giving medical care, and the probability that a patient may succumb to death due to lack of immediate medical attention rises drastically.
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Conversely, according to the act of utilitarianism, the action by the nurses is justifiable. The theory holds that a person can carry out a wrong action that is morally wrong so that the outcome of the action can be positive . It follows, therefore, that the nurses had to go on strike so that their voice could be heard.
Notably, it was morally wrong for the organization’s management to fail to employ additional nurses to help with the workload at the hospital. According to natural law, the hospital should have enough workers to provide quality healthcare services to the patient. Failure to ensure sufficient resources may lead to inconveniences resulting in poor quality services to patients .
In brief, the nurses were legally right to carry out the strike. Although it was unethical to leave the patient unattended to a point they had to be transmitted to another hospital, it was morally right for them to fight for their rights to fuel better working conditions and the provision of quality health services.
References
Ellis, R., & Parks, B. (2019). 2,200 nurses strike at University of Chicago Medical Center . CNN . Retrieved 21 September 2019, from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/20/us/chicago-nurses-strike/index.html
