Integrity in the Medical Field

Integrity is vital in the medical field, as it acts for the catalyst for success in the relationship between the patient, hospital and caregiver. It is also something that cannot be fabricated, as it is based off of a moral compass that is built from years and years of hard work, and maintaining a good character. In addition, integrity is an attribute that are not taught in school, but rather built from character. Similarly, the medical field is one that is founded on a foundation of trust that is needed to define and promote proper ethics in healthcare environments.

Hypothetically speaking, as a patient, I for sure know that I would want someone that is taking care of me to have a good moral compass and use it while thinking of my care. In my opinion, it does not matter how many books you have read, or how many years you went to medical school; esentailly, it does not matter how smart you actually are; if you do not have a trait such as integrity to guide you through the decisions you make regarding your patients, you are not fulfilling the job you set out to do. However, generally speaking, the concept of integrity is broad and can be applied in many different contexts; take for example, personal integrity versus professional integrity. Personal integrity is something that can be applied to everyday life, something that we use when thinking of traditional situations, while professional integrity is something that someone uses to build and add on to their previous knowledge. Despite the vast difference between the two, they are both vital to success, as they provide subjective and objective points of view in every situation, specifically relating to the medical field/community.

Integrity can also be viewed as an additional personal and social virtue, emphasizing the point that integrity is made up of different values and moral complexes. Many even say that acting with the virtue of integrity does not threaten the respect for life, integrity, well-being, and flourishing of others. Moreover, integrity can also be defined as when an individual goes beyond what the codes and rules state and see that acting outside of these guidelines will better patient outcomes and safety, and in their view is the right thing to do. Furthermore proving that even doctors, nurses, or anyone in the medical field who is incredibly smart, book wise, could not be successful, or connect with patients without a sense of proper integrity. It is very difficult to separate one aspect of integrity from another when understood in the context of a moral compass in general.

In conclusion, while their are many different types of definitions of integrity, within and outside of the work place, specifically speaking, the medical field, all of them point to a good sense of moral compass that will further the success of the relationship between not only the patient and caregiver, but the hospital as a whole and it is essential for caregivers to understand the meaning of integrity in practice so that they may then practice with integrity; this leads to an optimal caregiver-patient relationship.

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