Every leader in any healthcare organization is tasked with fulfilling various duties, including setting guidelines on the ideal path that every member should follow. One way leaders can ensure that every member in an organization adheres to ideal ethical and moral standards is by crafting an employee code of conduct policy (Wilkins et al., 2014). When this crucial document is missing, employees in a healthcare organization may engage in unethical practices such as bullying others, discriminating against others based on their race, or favoritism. All these vices may result in a healthcare organization attracting a bad reputation from the outside members and community at large (Wilkins et al., 2014). Currently, the healthcare organization in which I serve as a leader has an outdated policy and needs revisions. This essay seeks to expound on my plan of how I would create an up-to-date policy and achieve the desired outcome in my organization.
An employee code of conduct policy denotes a set of ideal behaviors that individuals should follow while working in an organization. Subsequently, the code of conduct consists of regulations, social norms, and responsibilities of every individual in an institution. When developing a policy, it is important to ensure that it is clear and comprehensive since this will ensure that it covers all the important aspects (Pozgar, 2019). Having an employee code of conduct policy in a healthcare organization is crucial since it sets and maintains an acceptable standard of behavior that every employee should adhere to. Additionally, this policy serves as a reminder to employees of what they are expected to fulfill (Pozgar, 2019). Lastly, an employee code of conduct policy should also outline some of the possible consequences and disciplinary actions that members will face if they break a given code.
When working in a healthcare organization, the employee code of conduct is essential to both the patients and staff members. This is because it constantly reminds the staff about their attitude, actions, and behavior towards patients (Pozgar, 2019). Based on such aspects, reviewing n organization’s employee code of conduct policy is crucial. This is attributed to the fact that outdated policies may fail to comply with current laws and regulations hence predisposing an organization at risk (Pozgar, 2019). For instance, when an organization has an outdated policy, it may not address new practices in the healthcare sector; as a result, it may lead to inconsistent practices. Reviewing my organization’s employee code of conduct will be of value since it will aid in protecting the organization, employees, and patients at large (Pozgar, 2019).
When creating an employee code of conduct policy for my healthcare organization, I will commence by learning about the organization’s current code of conduct. Understanding their current policy is crucial since it will lay a foundation for understanding some areas that need improvement. I will achieve this step by holding a meeting with the institution’s and hospital administration team. Including the hospital administration is crucial since they both have different views and by including them, they will feel valued by participating in the policy development process.
I will also talk to the Human resource team since they help in offering me insights concerning the organization’s vision, mission statement, and the strategies that can be adapted to create an employee code of conduct that is inclusive to employees from diverse backgrounds. Since an employee code of conduct helps every person in an organization adhere to stipulated laws and regulations, my institution must ensure that it accommodates every person’s view of life and beliefs. Doing this will ensure that no person feels sidelined during the process.
Holding a meeting with the hospital’s employees is equally important. As a leader, it is important to include every person in a decision-making process since they help in offering varied ideas which may help solve a problem within a short period. By talking to the employees, I will gain insights concerning what they require from their employer to become productive and feel appreciated. Working with employees that are not motivated within the workplace often leads to reduced productivity hence reducing the overall performance of my organization. An organization’s success story lies in how employees are handled. When employees are happy, this means that they will be motivated to work as well as relate well to patients. Outstanding employee-patient relationship leads to reduced medication errors and better healthcare services hence leading to improved outcomes.
Another important aspect that I will do is research our competitor’s code of conduct and compare it to what my organization has. Making such comparisons is important because it may provide me with something new, which may also help my organization excel. Although the organization may also be in the healthcare sector, we hold different views on given topics. As a result, making comparisons may reveal some new insights that can enhance my organization’s policy. Collaboration is key in yielding better results; thus, I would request some other healthcare institutions to join hands with me in developing a new employee code of conduct. Collaborating would be influential since it will save on time and aid in developing a document with current ideal standards.
In conclusion, developing an employee code of conduct policy is not easy. However, the process can be simplified by using different approaches, such as collaborating with other institutions and including all current organization members. By working with different departments and healthcare institutions, I will gather all the details to create an up-to-date code of conduct.
References
Pozgar, G. D. (2019). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Wilkins, A. M., Colvard, R., & Lipinski, J. (2014). Does your company have this document? All organizations should have an employee code of conduct. Strategic Finance, 96(1), 35-40.
