Hand Hygiene
Hand Hygiene
Good ethics is the foundation of an organization’s character. It is what distinguishes it from the conglomerate of businesses in today’s society. Ethical behavior is the glue that bonds employees and customers to the organization. It is a code of conduct that guides an individual in dealing with others. Ethical issues have are a major concern in business because they have become more complex due to international business expansion and the diversified nature of large corporations. Government regulation and legal requirements have become more stringent in the effort to stem unethical practices in corporations. Finegan (1994) affirms, “the corporate world has come under increasing pressure to behave in a socially responsible manner” (p. 747). Organizations have come to realize that more is at stake if this behavior continues to consume the workplace.
Handwashing in the health care setting has been promoted for generations and is recognized as the single most important procedure for preventing infection. The healthcare industry has an ethical and legal obligation to protect and promote the well being of its patients. This obligation should not be administered lightly and upheld by those within the authority to do so. Ethical behavior in the health care industry is essential and desirable; however, determining which behavioral actions are ethical and which are unethical is difficult. Although never will everyone agree on specific ethical standards, everyone should agree that setting ethical standards is vital. Therefore, administrators of health care institutions and health care providers should work together to establish codes of ethics which define boundaries for ethical behaviors in the health care industry.
Background
Historically, the hand hygiene story begins in 1822 when moistening hands with liquid chloride solution was advocated for contagious disease interruption. More notably is the Ignaz Semmelweis’ work in 1846 when he insisted physicians
Good ethics is the foundation of an organization’s character. It is what distinguishes it from the conglomerate of businesses in today’s society. Ethical behavior is the glue that bonds employees and customers to the organization. It is a code of conduct that guides an individual in dealing with others. Ethical issues have are a major concern in business because they have become more complex due to international business expansion and the diversified nature of large corporations. Government regulation and legal requirements have become more stringent in the effort to stem unethical practices in corporations. Finegan (1994) affirms, “the corporate world has come under increasing pressure to behave in a socially responsible manner” (p. 747). Organizations have come to realize that more is at stake if this behavior continues to consume the workplace.
Handwashing in the health care setting has been promoted for generations and is recognized as the single most important procedure for preventing infection. The healthcare industry has an ethical and legal obligation to protect and promote the well being of its patients. This obligation should not be administered lightly and upheld by those within the authority to do so. Ethical behavior in the health care industry is essential and desirable; however, determining which behavioral actions are ethical and which are unethical is difficult. Although never will everyone agree on specific ethical standards, everyone should agree that setting ethical standards is vital. Therefore, administrators of health care institutions and health care providers should work together to establish codes of ethics which define boundaries for ethical behaviors in the health care industry.
Background
Historically, the hand hygiene story begins in 1822 when moistening hands with liquid chloride solution was advocated for contagious disease interruption. More notably is the Ignaz Semmelweis’ work in 1846 when he insisted physicians
References: Finegan, J. (1994). The impact of personal values on judgments of ethical behaviour in the workplace July 22, 2011, from ProQuest Database. (Document ID: 22754). AJIC. 2007 Guideline for isolation precautions: Preventing transmission of infectious agents in healthcare settings Mathai. E., Allegranzi, B., Kilpatrick, C., Pittet, D. (2010). Prevention and control of health care- associated infections through improved hand hygiene Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2002). Guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare settings Bennett, J., Brachman, P., Jarvis, W. (2008). Bennett and Brachman’s hospital infections. (5th ed.) Scott, D. (2009 March). The direct medical costs of healthcare-associated infections in U. S. hospitals and the benefits of prevention Kinicki, A. & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills, & best practices (4th ed.)