How to Overcome the Challenge of Overworked Medical Staff
Overworked medical and hospital staff has for a long time, hindered the nursing profession from realizing its aspirations for the common good. Common good has been defined as the good that comes into existence when solidarity and equal agents build a community. The principle of common good is intertwined with human dignity. Overworking medical staff is against human dignity since it denies them the chance to experience their rights as they aspire to realize their aspirations for common good.
Common good cannot exist in a community that is not built by equal agents; therefore, overworked nurses cannot contribute to common good in a community. In a society that is developed by common good everyone can flourish as together everyone’s makes contributions towards the realization of the goals that have been set. The social conditions that have been set should make it possible for everyone to participate (Donley, Grandjean, Jairath, McMullen & Shelton, 2006). These conditions are created by members of the society so that they can be able to pursue the goals in place working across their differences each of them embracing their responsibility according to their ability, calling or profession.
A shared responsibility is when people participate freely. In this context, overworking nurses means that they are not participating willingly but have been forced to embrace their responsibilities (Melé, 2009). By overworking nurses, Human equality is not respected, human beings are equal in the eyes of God. For common good to exist there must be dignity in work. Work has to be viewed as more than just a means of making a living and when nurses are overworked their work is not accorded the dignity it deserves.
Despite overworked hospital and medical staff being a challenge that hinders the nursing community from realizing its aspirations for common good it can still be resolved in various ways. Human dignity is as a result of human beings made free by God. He created human being free so that they can do his bidding. The only way they can do his bidding is by choosing to live and act within the framework of his law and because of this society is supposed to respect the freedom given to human beings by enabling men and women to carry out their responsibility to better their own lives and encourage others to co-operate with each other in their pursuit for common good (Melé, 2009). When this is done society will not overwork its medical and hospital staff.
John Paul II has repeatedly defended human rights. One of his concerns is that some people deny universality of human rights (John Paul II, n.d). Human rights in all aspects must be preserved, and among the human rights that John Paul II was promoting is the right to share in the building of society. In this context overworking nurses denies them the right to share in the right of building a society. Calling for awareness for human rights like John Paul II did will help in spreading awareness that the rights of nurses should be respected, thus they should not be overworked.
Nature calls for a balance in everything, therefore there should be a balance in the workload that nurses receive (O’Hanlon SJ, 2007). Medical institutions should aim for a fair distribution of nurses in these institutions to ensure that the dignity of the work they are doing is maintained and to ensure that the human dignity of nurses is respected as they go about their daily activities (Audi, 2012). The work load of each nurse should be minimized. When a balance is maintained in the workload that is being received by nurses it will make it possible for the nursing profession to realize its aspirations for common good since they will be able to contribute to the society as equal agents.
The aspirations for human rights and dignity are on the rise and inequalities are deepening and there is a high need for new forms of education to foster the competence of societies (UNESCO, 2015). Education plays an important role in fostering common good. These new form of education should foster a greater justice, social equality and a global solidarity. Education is the means of changing everything therefore; an education that teaches on the need for equality and social justice will bring about a change in the nursing profession and educate on the dangers of overworking medical and hospital staff. This will enable the nursing community to realize its aspirations for the common good.
Education is key to achieving set developmental goal (UNESCO, 2015). The nursing community has set out to achieve its goal which is realization of its aspirations for common good. Education lies at the very heart of every effort that is made to change and transform the world which people live within. A quality basic education is very much needed if people are to change how they view the world. Quality education will shed light on the disadvantage of overworking medical and hospital staff and with them nurses. When this comes to light the medical participants will no longer be overworked thus giving the nursing community the chance to realize its aspirations for common good.
Promotion of human dignity, human rights, eradication of poverty and increase in sustainability is some ting that is required to build a better future for everyone (Wagner, 2005). These factors are important to build a better future that will be founded on equal rights for everyone, a future that is founded on respect for cultural diversity and a future that is founded on social justice. The nursing community cannot be able to contribute to this future if they are overworked. When education which is a transformative force is used to promote human dignity and equality which discourage overworking medical and hospital staffs then overworked nurses will no longer be a challenge hindering aspirations of the nursing profession for common good.
Acting in accordance to the catholic social teachings that state everyone is a believer who has been called by the Lord Jesus Christ to proclaim his gospel in a time where the economy is powerful and complex. Faith calls for everyone not to measure the economy by the fruits it produces but on how the economy touches human life and how much the economy protects human dignity (Rowlands, 2013). Acting in accordance to these teachings will ensure that nurses are not overworked.
Nurses are overworked in pursuit of economic excellence, the economic decision of overworking nurses has human consequences and completely diminishes the quality of justice (Sullivan, 1998). This goes against catholic social teachings that state that individual should use their resources to shape the economy and shape a society that protects the dignity and the basic rights of the people. Calling for people to align their actions to social catholic teachings will help in making sure overworked nurses are no longer a challenge that hinders the nursing community from realizing its aspirations for common good.
Overworked hospital and medical staff is a challenge that has hindered the nursing community from realizing its aspirations for common good. The nursing community has to move past this challenge to achieve its aspiration for common good.
References
Audi, R. (2012). Virtue ethics as a resource in business. Business Ethics Quarterly, 22(2), 273- 291.
Donley, S. R., Grandjean, C., Jairath, N., & McMullen, P. (2006). Nursing and the Common Good .
John Paul II, (n.d) Respect for Human Rights
Melé, D. (2009). Integrating personalism into virtue-based business ethics: The personalist and the common good principles. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(1), 227-244.
O’Hanlon SJ, G, (2007) How Much Equality is Needed for Justice? Retrieved from; https://www.workingnotes.ie/images/stories/56pdf/equality.pdf
Rowlands, A. (2013). Catholic Social Teaching: Not-so-secret anymore?. Retrieved from; https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20130115_1.htm
Sullivan, J. W. (1998). Catholic education: distinctive and inclusive (Doctoral dissertation, Institute of Education, University of London).
UNESCO (2015), Rethinking Education. Towards a global common good?
Wagner, W. J. (2005). Universal Human Rights, the United Nations, and the Telos of Human Dignity. Ave Maria L. Rev., 3, 197.
