Assignment Task: Closing Case Not What the Doctor Ordered
Closing Case Not What the Doctor Ordered When a Brazilian man went to the doctor to seek treatment for his hearing problem, he walked out the door with a vasectomy instead. How could this happen? It's easy when the patient doesn't think to question authority. "The strangest thing is that he asked no questions when the doctor started preparations in the area which had so little to do with his ear," said a spokesperson for the clinic. When people go to a hospital or clinic, quality health care from qualified medical care professionals is an expectation, right? It is rare when people question the decisions of doctors or the care they receive. But maybe they should. An average of 195,000 Americans die annually from potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors. The equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people are dying each year due to likely preventable, in-hospital medical errors, making this one of the leading killers in the United States, said Dr. Samantha Collier. In addition to deaths, more than two million infections occur in hospitals each year, many of which could be prevented by people simply washing their hands or by speaking up when they observe incompetence. Studies reveal that a majority of health-care workers regularly see colleagues take dangerous shortcuts, make mistakes, and appear critically incompetent, yet fewer than one in 10 speak up and share their full concerns.
Assignment Questions:
Q1. You are a new nurse in a hospital who is preparing to assist in the operating room. You observe the primary surgeon scrubbing for the surgery, and just before he enters the OR, he stops to sign some papers. How would you approach the surgeon?
Q2. You work for a tyrant of a doctor who has fired several nurses in your department. You just saw him make an error that might endanger the patient, but you are afraid to speak up. You need the job. What would you do?
Q3. You are a doctor in a reputable hospital and work with a physician who you regard as incompetent in many areas. Do you speak to the doctor directly or opt to speak to your boss? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?