I have a friend who is a nurse assistant at the local hospital. She has told me some interesting situations regarding unethical behavior in the workplace, and it got us talking about the issue of ethics in the workplace. As medical students and future physicians, it’s important to remember the principles of medical ethics – autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. We must remember that we have the power to control and dictate our patients’ well-being and health care. We must remember to always put their health and requests/decisions first, and our personal opinions second. Our patients come to us trusting that we are going to care for them, and we must do so respectfully and professionally.
As future physicians and healthcare professionals, we are going to encounter difficult situations in the workplace. We must be able to handle these conflicts while keeping in mind the principles of medical ethics. In doing so, this will render quality patient care and successful results in healing the patient. No matter what happens, we should always act in the best interest of our patients.
