Applying the DECIDE Model to an Ethical Dilemma in Healthcare

Applying the DECIDE Model to an Ethical Dilemma in Healthcare
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February 21, 2023
Understanding how to address problems using a systematic model is essential for any healthcare professional. This is because healthcare professionals frequently encounter ethical dilemmas that require critical decision-making skills. The case study of Jill, a charge nurse, who provided her electronic medical record access password to a clinical instructor to expedite student nurse assignments, raises questions about ethical conduct and patient privacy. This paper applies to DECIDE, a decision-making model for healthcare managers, to the ethical dilemma faced by Jill.
Using the DECIDE Model
The first step that Jill should do when using the DECIDE model is to define the Problem. As stated in the case, the charge nurse Jill gave her electronic medical record access password to a clinical instructor to expedite student nurse assignments. This action raises ethical concerns regarding the confidentiality of patient information and the potential consequences of unauthorized access to patient records.
Accordingly, the second step in the DECIDE model is establishing the criteria. The criteria are the factors that must be considered when making the decision. In this case, the criteria include patient confidentiality, patient safety, legal and ethical implications of sharing passwords, and professional conduct.
The third step in the DECIDE model is to develop and weigh the alternatives. Since the primary goal of the DECIDE project is to increase efficiency and provide various alternatives, then Jill could have done the following:
1 Jill could have rescheduled the meeting with the clinical instructor to a later time or date.
2 Jill could have asked a trusted colleague to assist the clinical instructor with the patient assignments.
3 Jill could have completed the patient crisis and worked with the clinical instructor to make the student assignments without sharing her electronic medical record access password.
4 Jill could have given the clinical instructor her password to expedite the process.