Consequences of Failure to Report and the Ways to Address the Issue

Critical Decision Making For Providers
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A Description of Mike’s Situation
Mike is running late for work. This is not his first time running late. His supervisor had warned of a job termination if the lateness persisted. Mike values his job, which is the main income source for him and his family. Upon arrival at work, Mike spots a spill on the floor. If he safeguards the spill, he will delay clocking in and face possible termination. Besides, the spill falls under a different work area, and perhaps, the individuals responsible for that area will clean it up while he is clocking in. Mike is in a catch-22 situation.
Consequences of a Failure to Report
If Mike decides to report the issue, he will ensure safety on hospital grounds. Mike can phone his supervisor and explain to him that he came across a spill which he has to clean-up. However, Mike dreads a possible termination. If he refuses to report, the individuals responsible for cleaning will clear the spill.
Due to the fear of losing his job, Mike ignores the spill and rushes to clock in. Failure to report this issue has detrimental effects, particularly for patients. Later that day, Mike attends to a patient who has been admitted to the hospital due to a fatal fall at the lobby earlier that morning. Mike feels guilty for his ignorance which led to the patient’s fall. He then faces another catch-22 situation; should he confess to his supervisor that he had observed the spill earlier? His confession could lead to his termination!
Impact of Mike’s Decision
If Mike had reported the issue, the risk of anyone falling because of the spill would have been eliminated, and the safety of the patients while on hospital grounds would have been ensured. Mike could have informed his supervisor about the spill, explain that he delayed because he was cleaning it up, and made up for the lost time at the end of his shift, or by picking up an extra shift.
Patient safety is compromised if Mike does not clean-up the spill. Patients are at high risks of falling because of the spill, and the fall can cause adverse effects to both the patient and their family. Because this fall was due to staff negligence, the hospital can face financial losses. The hospital will use its resources to treat the patient’s injury because it is an injury caused by an in-hospital fall (Hitcho et al., 2004).
Mike failed to report and clean-up the spill and these actions have legal consequences for both him and the facility. The patient can sue for damages, and since the fall was due to negligence, the patient may be owed compensation for damages, including pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages. Mike can also risk his job due to this.
The reputation of the hospital will also be affected. Hospitals are natural...