MTLBE: The Calling of Health Care Provider

Health Care Provider

An organization or person who delivers proper health care in a systematic and professional way to any individual in need of health care services

Health Professional

A person who helps in identifying, preventing, or treating illness or disability

Health Care Profession

A profession in which a person exercises skill and judgment or provides a service related to:

• Preservation or improvement of an individual’s health

• Treatment or care of sick, injured, harmed, disabled, or infirmed individuals

Altruism

A health care professional is obligated to attend to the best interest of patients rather than self-interest.

Accountability

The state of being answerable to someone for something one has done

• A health care professional is accountable to their patients, to the society on issues of public health, and to their profession.

Excellence

A health care professional is obligated to make a commitment to lifelong learning.

Duty

A health care professional should be available and responsive, accepting a commitment to service within the profession and the community.

Honor & Integrity

A health care professional should be committed to being fair, truthful, and straightforward in their interactions with patients and the profession.

Respect for Others

A health care professional should demonstrate respect for patients and their families and to the other members of the team.

Open

Accepts need for joint planning and decision related to health care in a particular situation

Tactful

Does not embarrass but gives constructive criticism

Coordinator

Brings into consonance or harmony the health care activity

Objective

Unbiased and fair in decision making

Good Listener

Available for clients to voice their sentiments and needs

Efficient

Knowledgeable about everything relevant to his/her practice

Flexible

Able to cope with different restrictions

Critical Thinker

Decides on what has been analyzed

Fidelity

Related to the concept of faithfulness and the practice of promise-keeping

Honesty

Truthfulness

Integrity

Adherence to moral norms that is sustained over time

Humility

Recognizes one’s capabilities and limitations

• Does one’s best and asks for help as needed

• Accepts deserved praises graciously and denies undeserved praises

Respect

Pays attention to others

• Listens attentively to clients’ complaints or colleagues’ questions

Compassion

A feeling for those who suffer

• A self-sacrifice voluntarily given for the benefit of another or given with a hope or no hope of return

Prudence

Considers all possible circumstances and consequences before acting

• Considers how the different options may affect others in deciding

Courage

Doing what one sees as right without undue fear

Justice

Fair, equitable, and appropriate treatment

Fortitude

Endurance or courage in the face of pain or adversity

Temperance

A virtue that moderates desire and passions

Fraud, Carelessness, & Stubornness

Vices which Oppose Prudence (FraCarS)

Negligence

Omission to do something that a reasonable person would do; doing something that a reasonable and prudent person would not do

Malpractice

Form of negligence in which any professional misconduct, unreasonable lack of professional skill, or non-adherence to accepted standards will cause injury to a patient or client.

Superstitiousness & Disrespect

Vices which Oppose Justice (SupDis)

Recklessness & Cowardice

Vices which Oppose Fortitude (ReCow)

Pride, Greed, Lust, Hatred, & Vanity

Vices which Oppose Temperance (PriGreLuHaVa)

Principle of Respect for Persons

All individual human beings are presumed to be free and responsible persons and should be treated as such in proportion to their ability in the circumstances.

Principle of Autonomy

The autonomous individual freely acts in accordance with a self-chosen plan.

Distributive Justice

Refers to fair, equitable, and appropriate distribution of responsibilities, or share of rights and roles

Criminal Justice

Refers to the just infliction of punishment, or penalty proportionate to the crime committed.

Rectificatory Justice

Refers to the just compensation for transactional problems (e.g., breaches of contract) and practice based on civil law

Justice in Health Care

Regardless of the individual’s capacity to pay, health care must be given to the person needing care because as health professionals, our first duty is to save lives.

Presumed Consent

In cases where individuals are brought to the hospital in an unconscious state or are not capable to make decisions.

Vicarious Consent

In case of incompetent or incapacitated individuals; the right and duty of the patient to give consent is to be exercised on his/her behalf by a surrogate (e.g., spouse, parents, siblings, legal guardian)

Beneficence

Action done for the good of others

Nonmaleficence

Prevention of harm and the removal of harmful conditions

Ordinary Measure

Provide the necessities of life (food, normal respiration and elimination process).

Extraordinary Measure

(e.g., respirators, third-generation antibiotics, hemodialysis, chemotherapy) Are artificially prolonging the life of the patient.

• These means are loading the patient with more burden and fatigue and are in fact a hindrance to letting the person go in peace and dignity.

Assisted suicide

Knowingly administering some help to hasten death. In a way, this is a form of killing because something is introduced in the body to end life earlier than its natural schedule.

Letting go

Allowing the patient to die by NOT administering any hastening substance (e.g., withdrawing treatments and extraordinary measures); not a form of killing.