Hospital Staff

Hospital Staff

A patient's personal view of long term care. Seen through the eyes of a patient totally paralyzed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, this moving book takes you through the psychological and physical pain of an eleven month hospital stay. BED NUMBER TEN reads like a compelling novel, but is entirely factual. You will meet: The ICU staff who learned to communicate with the paralyzed woman - and those who did not bother. The physicians whose visits left her baffled about her own case. The staff and physicians who spoke to her and others who did not recognize her presence. The nurse who tucked Sue tightly under the covers, unaware that she was soaking with perspiration. The nurse who took the time to feed her drop by drop, as she slowly learned how to swallow again.

The physical therapist who could read her eyes and spurred her on to move again as if the battle were his own. In these pages, which reveal the caring, the heroism, and the insensitivity sometimes found in the health care fields, you may even meet people you know.After studying the case study, two primary issues appear to present the bulk of Pat's (CEO) problems. The first problem stems from the fact that: "medical errors cause tens of thousands of deaths each year, close to 100,000 in hospitals alone" (University of Phoenix material, n.d.). The CEO is concerned with the ethical and legal aspects of Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) directives and the moral and religious affect that these directives have on the hospital's customer base. DNR directives concern the patient's right to refuse treatment after they feel the treatments received will reach a point of diminishing return.

This is a very sensitive topic and has been actively debated for many years. The CEO has a very controversial decision to make on this topic.The second important issue facing the Pat and Chris is the rising cost of healthcare and the most effective way of keeping the hospital from losing money. Although Faith Community Hospital is technically a "not for profit" organization, the Board of Directors still need to see "profit" in order for Pat to keep his job and for the hospital to remain in operation. Pat and Chris have some controversial decisions to make concerning cost cutting efforts and appropriate pricing plans. This problem faces many other hospital administrators and presents a valuable learning opportunity for Chris.The problem of dealing with DNR directives involves interaction with religious beliefs, medical ethics, and customer perception. Chris and Pat should find a "compromise plan" that addresses the religious beliefs of the hospital Board of Directors, the medical ethics of the physicians, and the moral beliefs of the community as a whole. The goal of this decision should address the needs of all three entities without encroaching on the beliefs or desires of any one group. This is a monumental task and will need to be handled in a very delicate manner.The situation involving the rising healthcare costs are also ...