Decision Making for Providers

Decision Making for Providers
What were the consequences of a failure to report?
It appears that Mike, as the case study indicates, has made being late to report to his medical records position a habit. In fact, it has been addressed directly by his supervisor and the case seems to indicate that his job is “on thin ice” due to his frequent tardiness. During his last visit with his supervisor, Mike promised to be on time on his next shift and he actually did leave 20 minutes earlier than he normally does. This addition to Mike’s case makes it appear that he does have the ambition to try to fulfill the requirements that his position in the organization requires, but whatever reason he has been unable to do so, at least consistently.
There are other parts to the story that might help to explain Mike’s plight. For example, the case mentions that he and his wife have a newborn baby. Anyone that has had experience with newborns will know that it can be a major life disruption for a long period of time. Newborns can often make life difficult for young couples in many ways and it is reasonable to suspect that Mike’s schedule has been disrupted at home to at least some minimal extent. For example, it is reasonable to suspect that Mike has had at least a few nights with little to no sleep, which could be responsible for his reoccurring tardiness. Yet, even if the excuse may be valid, as Monster.com reports, the specific excuse doesn’t even matter all that much (Conlan, N.d.).
With all that being said, the consequences to Mike being late could be potentially vast, not only to the organization that employs him, but also to his new family. From an organizational perspective, peoples’ lives could be at stake. While it may not appear like the most critical aspect of health care, if people do not have the right records then it slows down the entire process. There are also consequences at stake for Mike and his family. Given that he is the sole provider for his family, his job is especially important. Finally, there are also consequences for the patients and visitors at the hospital, if the spill is not dealt with, a fall is possible.
2. What impact did his decision have on patient safety, on the risk for litigation, on the organization’s quality metrics, and on the workload of other hospital departments?
Fall-related injuries can be some of the most common, disabling, and expensive health conditions encountered by adults, especially older adults (Simmons, 2010). The research has identified many specific risk factors including environmental hazards, adaptive equipment maintenance, psychotropic drug use, physical therapy or exercise, staff education, post fall problem solving, and hip protectors (Colon-Emeric, et al., 2006). In this case, the spill represents an environmental hazard that could easily lead to a preventable injury. Furthermore, if someone did experience a preventable injury, then the hospital could be held liable. Not only would this potentially affect the organization financially, but it also any operational metrics relative to operation outcomes and patient satisfaction.
3. As Mike’s manager, what will you do to address the issue with him and ensure other staff members do not repeat the same mistakes?
If Mike reports the problem, this is certainly the correct action. Every hospital employee has the responsibility to address potential environmental hazards that are due to any reason, in this case it is a spill. Mike was also right to call his supervisor to alert him that he would be late to his current position, but that he was in the building handling an incident and would be there shortly after the situation was resolved. Mike’s supervisor seemed to appreciate his decision making and did not count it against his performance.
The primary issues in this case are related to excessive tardiness and hospital expectations of environmental maintenance and keeping the grounds clean of any potential hazards. The supervisor could try many different strategies to help Mike with his tardiness issues. It is reasonable to suspect that they are somehow related to Mike’s home life and once the newborn grows and the family is able to maintain more of a regular schedule, then the issues might dissolve on their own. However, in the meantime, Mike’s supervisor could have empathy for Mike while still requiring that Mike finds some way to deal with his circumstances and show up to work on time. The supervisor could use some form of progressive discipline system to punish Mike’s tardiness.
As far as the requirements to keep the grounds clean and tidy, free of environmental hazards, the entire hospital staff should be trained so that they are aware of their responsibilities in these matters. To prevent potential hospital falls, it takes a full team effort and requires that everyone pitch in and do their part. Even though it could have cost Mike his job, he really did the right thing and should be commended for thinking of these issues and reporting the spills. Keeping the facilities clean and in good working order is a primary objective and is everyone’s responsibility.
Works Cited
Colon-Emeric, C., Schenck, A., Gorospe, J., McArdle, J., Dobson, L., Deporter, C.,