The Case Study - Judy's Dilemma
The case study is on Judy, who has been a nurse manager for a decade and has gained the hospital's respect and admiration. Some of the administration's recent policies, such as workforce layoffs, have caused her to become dissatisfied with her employment. She is pushed by recent decisions to prioritize the organization's interests over the needs of the patients, which she values the most. It reaches to the point that she considers quitting her career since it is causing her family undue stress. However, she is also faced with other tough considerations that she can simply overlook. Apart from the fact that she has two children to raise, she also has a senior position in the hospital and enjoys a better pay.
Values Demonstrated
The values that are quite clear and evident in this scenario, are as follows. It is undeniable that the nurse has displayed profound levels of fidelity to her cause. Getting frustrated to a point that she considers quitting her job just because of being denied a chance to satisfy the needs of the patients first, shows that she was very faithful to her work and duties. There is also an aspect of selflessness. Judy has demonstrated that it is the lives of other people that is more important than her own as well as the commercial needs of the hospital. Had that not been the case, it would not have bothered her when he is denied the chance to attend to the patients the way she did before.
Conflicting Values
Furthermore, it is also evident, that there was an element of compassion from the nurse Judy. Given the agony she goes through by not being allowed to discharge her duties selflessly as she did before, she has the chance to abandon her job but again she gets filled with compassion at seeing her children suffer after she quits her job and she decides to put it on hold. Another value demonstrated is resilience. Judy manages to stay put for a while despite the frustrations she faces at work. Empathizing with Judy’s situation, I find that her ability to put the interests of the patients before her own resonate quite well with my deeply held value of selflessness.
Weighing the Options
Adherence to each value presents serious conflicts that cannot be avoided regardless of the route she decides to follow. If she decides to stay put at her job and endure, she will be forced to give up the selfless part of her and her unwavering fidelity of service to humanity. Consequently, if she decides to quit the job due to the high moral standards and values of selflessness, she will have to forego the benefits she currently enjoys at work as well as expose her children to hardship because there will be no enough money to fend for them until she gets another source of income.
The Decision - Follow Conscience
Going forward, I think Judy should just quit her job and get peace in her mind and avoid the frustrations she currently goes through at work. Personal values are not things one can trade with money or the level of position at work. Provided one's conscience is against something and has decided to side with what is right and just, no amount of persuasion or influence is supposed to change their stance (Sguera et al., 2017). There should come a point where no compromise or sacrifice is enough to make one auction their dearly held convictions about what is right and just (Lemak et al., 2017).
Guided by Ideals
Had I been in Judy's position, making a decision as to whether to leave the hospital or remain would have been guided by the following ideals. First, my mind would be guided by truth, justice, and honesty. If I'm truly determined to make the needs of the patients my primary responsibility, I would ensure that I stay true to the cause and any other issue that comes, treat it as secondary. There would also be a need for upholding the sanctity of life on my side. Just like Judy was people-centered, I would also see to it that I serve patients first, save their lives, and then consider any other responsibility or interest that may arise.
Consequences and Conclusion
Although putting up such a spirited fight to safeguard what you believe in would be the right thing to do, there would equally be many consequences that would follow it. First is the probable accusation of disrespect to the hospital administration, getting laid off, and disciplinary charges instituted against you. One may also face rejection at the workplace, which can be very distressing. In conclusion, Judy should be guided by her conscience. Values and character are priceless, nothing is worth compromising such attributes (Crossan et al., 2013).
References
Sguera, F., Sekerka, L. E., & Bagozzi, R. (2017, January). Self-Conscious Emotions and Moral Decision Making in Business. In Academy of Management Proceedings (Vol. 2017, No. 1, p. 13728). Academy of Management.
Lemak, C. H., Paris, N. M., & McDonagh, K. J. (2017). Essential Values for Population Health Improvement. Population health management.
Crossan, M., Mazutis, D., & Seijts, G. (2013). In search of virtue: The role of virtues, values and character strengths in ethical decision making. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(4), 567- 581.
