HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Issues For Health Care Professionals

Issues for Health Care Professionals

Introduction

A health care professional is an individual who provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities. There are many legal and ethical facing these professionals during the course of their practice. The health care professional that I have chosen is a Physician Assistant (PA). I will be discussing in detail the ethical and legal issues that the physician assistant faces while performing his duties.

Physician assistants are health care professionals trained and licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a licensed doctor. Physician assistants work in clinics, hospitals and any other health care facilities where they have to abide by the laws and regulations of that clinic. They requirements of becoming a physician assistant include minimum two years of post graduation. They duties include obtaining medical histories, performing examinations and procedures, order treatments, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medication, order and interpret diagnostic tests, refer patients to specialists as required, and first or second-assist during surgeries.

Discussion

Legal and Ethical Issues Faced by A Physician Assistant

Physician assistants face with many legal and ethical issues during their practice and thus they have to find the best way to come over them. They have to ensure that they serve their best and provide their patients with the best possible resources and advices regarding their illnesses. They should know and understand the laws governing their practice. Legal requirements and ethical expectations could be conflicting in a given case or situation, but they have to ensure to act in the best manner.

Physician assistants should understand that each patient is unique and has an ethical right to self-determination. Physician assistants should be sensitive and value the beliefs and expectations of the patient, but during the process they should ensure that they are not ignoring their personal values, scientific or ethical standards, or the law (Gray,2010).

Physician assistants have to provide full information to their patients, about the health care options that are available to them, and should not hide any information from them. If they cannot provide complete treatment to their patients because of certain moral, religious issues, it is their duty to refer them to other physician assistants. They should treat all patients who come to them equally without any biases. They should avoid discrimination in terms of gender, race, sex, color, creed and religion. If they fail to do ...