Unethical Decisons

Unethical Behavior

Katelyn Bias

BUS/212 - FOUNDATIONS OF BUSINESS

February 13, 2017

Katie Luck

Unethical Decision

Ethics, standards of moral behavior; that is; behavior accepted by society as right versus wrong. ( McHugh, Nickels, McHugh, 11th edition, chapter 4 pg.96) A few moral values include honesty, loyalty, integrity, and courage. If everyone in this world would react to situations in an ethical way, the world would be a much better place to live in. In life, we are faced with decisions to make, then there is a solution to be made. By that time an ethical or unethical decision has been made.

Unethical Decision

I was formerly employed at a nursing home, where I was a certified nursing assistant. I took the CNA class their and became certified there. I became employed on August 1, 2016. I had proper training and classes for three months. After the class was over I started working on the floor as a certified nursing aid. We were required to lift certain residents up with a lifter. This was required by the state. Well, all the other aides didn’t like to use the lifter because it took up too much time to go and grab the lifter. Now the lifter was in a closet around the block, but it was just laziness. I’m just getting on the floor so I am trying to learn the ropes to this from older aids. They weren’t showing me how to do things in an orderly fashion, it was more of taking shortcuts. For example, instead of getting the lifter for certain residents they just threw these residents down in the bed with help. I knew that wasn’t the proper way and they knew it wasn’t the proper way but I didn’t say no different. I knew then me not saying anything I was making an unethical decision to proceed with just throwing these residents in the bed. Well it went on for two months, just throwing these certain residents in the bed without proper protocol. I didn’t think I was going to get caught or get in trouble behind this unethical decision. Everyone else was doing it old and new aids so I taught it was ok too. Knowing that I knew better because I had proper training and class for three months, I knew what was right and what was wrong. Instead I wanted to do what I seen everyone else doing. Well that unethical decision has gotten me fired from that workplace. One evening me and a coworker were making our rounds as usual and this resident wanted to go to bed. We then decided to put her to bed, now instead of grabbing the lifter around the corner we just decided to put her in bed without it. While picking the lady up, my partner loss her strength and almost dropped the resident. The resident’s feet were on the floor and 95 percent of her body to. The resident started to complain about her leg after we threw her in the bed. I didn’t think nothing of it but to just put her in bed and walk out. We didn’t even report it to the nurse until later that evening. Well we went back to change her and while turning she started screaming about her knee was hurting so much. She was screaming so much I knew then that her knee has been broken. We kept quiet about the situation and didn’t report it to anyone. Well, I went home that night came back in the morning and I couldn’t even clock in. I knew then I was in big trouble. The night shift and nurse said the resident had been complaining about her knee all that night and the night nurse decided to send her out to the emergency room. The next morning administration and higher authority found out and pulled me and my coworker in to find out what happened. Then they told us that her knee had been broken from the situation that happened yesterday evening. Well, I’m sure by now you know what happened. We got fired because we didn’t use a lifter on her and because of our crazy actions the lady resulted in a knee injury. Now our supervisor said if we would have used a lifter and she fell while in the lifter we would still have our job. This could have all been prevented if we would have used the lifter from the beginning of the whole situation. I was devastated and crying because they had to contact the sheriff’s office and report us for resident abuse. Even though it wasn’t intentionally they still had to report it because he knee was broken. I was so sad at myself for making an unethical decision when I could have made a better choice and had a better outcome to the situation. I prayed on the situation and I also prayed for forgiveness and that poor lady heal from that injury because she didn’t ask for that. I was because we were too lazy to go around the corner and catch the lifter and we didn’t report the incident. I feel bad for her still till this day because we knew right from wrong. We violated company rules and policies. From this day on I try to make ethical decisions because I never want my unethical decision making to result in something like this again.