Workplace Ethics in Healthcare

Does the administration of a healthcare community have an ethical obligation to protect its employees from racially offensive comments made by residents?  Does a staff member have an ethical obligation to continue to provide care to an individual with dementia who recurrently gropes providers?  These questions, and many others like them, compel us to examine not only the legal aspects of maintaining safe and supportive work environments, but also the ethical implications of dealing with individuals, some of whom might be acting secondary to mental illness or dementia, who engage in offensive or dangerous behavior.  This seminar is designed to assist attendees in identifying and managing these types of ethical issues as they present in the long term care environment.  The session will be highly interactive, and it will begin by considering the concepts of harassment and hostile work environments.  After discussing the moral complexities of this topic on a general level, we will then consider specific applications involving offensive or dangerous resident behavior.