Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare Administration and How to Address Them (HEA 402)

Capella University’s HEA 402: Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare Administration course focuses on the complex ethical challenges that healthcare administrators encounter and provides strategies for addressing them effectively. Healthcare administrators are often faced with difficult decisions that involve balancing patient care, organizational goals, and legal constraints. This course teaches students how to handle these dilemmas in a way that is fair, consistent, and in the best interest of both patients and healthcare organizations.

Course Overview:

In HEA 402, students will analyze common ethical dilemmas in healthcare administration, such as resource allocation, end-of-life care, patient confidentiality, and employee relations. The course explores ethical decision-making models, helping students understand how to approach complex ethical issues with the appropriate tools and frameworks. Students will engage in case studies to develop practical solutions to real-world ethical challenges, enhancing their decision-making skills.

Key Learning Outcomes:

By the end of HEA 402, students will:

Identify Common Ethical Dilemmas: Gain a deep understanding of the most common ethical dilemmas faced by healthcare administrators, including issues related to patient care, staff management, and resource distribution.
Apply Ethical Decision-Making Frameworks: Learn to apply established ethical decision-making frameworks to analyze and resolve dilemmas in a way that balances patient interests, organizational policies, and legal requirements.
Navigate Ethical Challenges in Healthcare Management: Understand how to manage ethical issues that arise in the context of healthcare policy, funding decisions, and organizational culture.
Advocate for Ethical Standards: Develop strategies to promote a culture of ethical integrity within healthcare organizations, ensuring that ethical considerations are at the forefront of administrative practices.

Students will gain the skills to address ethical dilemmas in a thoughtful and practical manner, ensuring that healthcare organizations uphold ethical standards while delivering quality care.