United States Electoral College Essay Example for Free

United States Electoral College Essay The Electoral College, the mechanism for electing the president and the vice-president of the United States which was first put to use in the 1789 presidential election has already outgrown its purpose and should therefore be abolished (National Archives and Records Administration). Formulated by the country’s founders more than two hundred years ago, the system has undoubtedly grown stale and ineffective and no longer â€Å"conform to our modern interpretation of democracy, which is one person, one vote† (Hough). According to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), although the term could not be found anywhere in the United States Constitution, it is believed to have been actually conceived by the â€Å"founding fathers as a compromise between the election of a president by Congress and election by popular vote. † The term was coined from the words â€Å"elector† and â€Å"college. † The term â€Å"elector† was used to refer to the German princes who were granted the right to take part in the process of electing the German king who later became the emperor of the Roman Empire while â€Å"college† was taken from the Latin word collegium which means â€Å"a body of persons that act as a unit. † Thus the term â€Å"electoral college† means a group of people chosen to elect the President and the Vice President of the United States of America (NARA). A total of 538 electors handpicked by political parties comprise the present Electoral College. Every state has two electors representing their two senators and another elector for each of their congressional representation. This means that a small state with only one congressional representation owing to the smallness of its population is allocated the minimum number of three electors. In 2004, the four states with the highest number of electors were: California (55), Texas (34), New York (31), and Florida (27) while seven small states (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming), and the District of Columbia, had only three electors each (NARA). As congressional representation is determined by the census of population which is taken every ten years, a state’s number of electors could therefore be reduced or increased, without prejudicing the total electors of 538 for the entire country. For instance, based on the 1990 census of population, the state of Arizona was allowed 8 electors for the presidential elections of 1992, 1996, and 2000. After it registered a population increase in 2000, its number of congressional representation and therefore, the number of its electors, was raised to 10 for the presidential elections of 2004, 2008, and 2012 (NARA). In 48 states and the District of Columbia, a presidential candidate who gets the majority of votes in one state is awarded all the electoral votes allocated for that state in a â€Å"winner-take-all† manner. In the states of Maine and Nebraska, meanwhile, proportional voting is practiced. Under this voting system, Maine, which has four electoral votes, gives one vote to the winner in each of its two congressional districts and gives the remaining two votes to whoever gets the majority votes in the entire state (NARA). A simple majority or a minimum of 270 electoral votes is needed to win the U. S. presidency. In case of a tie (269-269 result) in the presidential contest, the Congress of the United States decides the issue while the U. S. Senate conducts the runoff election in case of a deadlock in the vice presidential race. In the history of the presidential election in the country, the congressional runoff was only done twice – in 1800 and in 1824. In the vice presidential race, the United States Senate was called on to decide the issue in 1836 (NARA). This is the first undesirable feature of the Electoral College that many American voters find unacceptable. A tie in the presidential election under this system takes the electoral process away from the hands of the American voters and confers the power to elect the president to a highly partisan congress. In such a scenario, the presidential candidate of the party which controls the House of Representatives would win the presidency regardless of the will of the majority of the American voters. A case in point was the 1824 presidential election. When congress decided on the issue after a deadlock was declared, Andrew Jackson lost the presidency to John Quincy Adams despite garnering a decisive 57. 2% of the popular vote (NARA). Point two against the Electoral College is the fact that the president and the vice president of the United States are not actually chosen by the people but through the electoral votes assigned to the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is therefore possible for a candidate to win the votes and gain the trust and confidence of the majority of American voters and still lose the presidency – a systemic defect which is tantamount to a disenfranchisement of American voters. This has already happened four times in the political history of the country. The case of Andrew Jackson in 1824 was already discussed earlier in this paper. Another case occurred in 1876 when Rutherford Hayes (R) won the presidency with a single electoral vote majority (185 against Samuel Tilden’s 184) in spite of the fact that only 48. 5% of those who voted went for him while the majority 51. 5% voted for Tilden. Once again, in 1888, Benjamin Harrison (R) won with 233 electoral votes against Grover Cleveland’s (D) 168. However, 90,596 more American voters had chosen Cleveland over Harrison in that election. The most recent case was the 2000 presidential election. President George W. Bush (R) defeated Albert Gore, Jr. , 271 – 266 electoral votes, despite getting only 50,456,062 popular votes (49. 7%) against Al Gore’s 50,996,582 (50. 3%). The official result of that election, in effect, nullified the votes of 540,520 American voters who gave Gore the advantage in popular votes, thereby expressing their preference for Al Gore to be the president of the country (NARA). The Electoral College does not count the votes cast by American voters equally. For instance, in the 2004 election, Wyoming, one of the small states, was allocated three electoral votes. California, on the other hand, whose population was about fifty times larger than Wyoming, only had 54 electoral votes. A simple computation would show us that although California was 50 times as large as Wyoming, its number of electoral votes was only 18 times larger (54/3 = 18). In other words, a vote cast by a voter from Wyoming was given a higher value than the vote cast by a California voter (Bates). Or, expressed another way, one Wyoming voter is equal to 18 California voters. This is plain inequality! Electoral College discourages some voters from participating in the election, thereby resulting to low voter turnout which reduces the credibility of an election. This is true in the case of states which have already been identified as one-party states. For instance in 2004, since California was already expected to vote for the Democratic candidate, chances were that some voters who planned to vote for the Republican standard bearer could have chosen to stay home instead. Indeed, what’s the point of voting when your state is already in the hands of the other party? It would seem as if the votes have already been counted before they were cast (Bates). On the other hand, defenders of the Electoral College claim that under the popular voting, the small states would simply be overwhelmed by the large states and that presidential candidates would tend to overlook them in favor of large states where more votes could be obtained. The opposite had, in fact, been observed during the campaigning which occurred for the 2004 election. Let us return to the example of California, the largest voting state in the country. Because it was already expected to go for the Democratic Party, George W. Bush ignored it in spite of its size and its 54 electoral votes and concentrated instead in the â€Å"swing state of Pennsylvania† which he visited â€Å"more than forty† times. In fact campaigning for the presidency of the United States had always shown candidates spending more time in swing states than in larger states which had already committed to the other side (Bates). Because of its proven ineptness and widespread unacceptability, the Electoral College has been labelled differently by different people. It was likened to â€Å"the vermiform appendix: a useless organ that can cause trouble on occasion† (Abolish the Electoral College? ). It was described by the American Bar Association as â€Å"archaic and ambiguous† when a survey it conducted in 1987 found that 69% of American lawyers wanted the system abolished. The American public have spoken against the system through polls held in 1967 (58%), 1968 (81%), and then again in1981 when 75% of Americans were found to favor its replacement by a popular voting system (NARA). Regardless of the labels, however, the subjugation of the people’s will and the utter disregard for the value of the votes of Americans has rendered the Electoral College unacceptable to the American public. Their disgust and contempt for the system was already shown by the more than 700 proposals for its abolition or modification. They almost succeeded in the U. S. Senate in 1956 when amendments introduced by Republican Senator Karl Mundt (South Dakota) and Texas Democratic Senator Price Daniel won a senate voting with a 48-37 majority. Only their failure to muster the required three-fourths vote of the senate prevented the measures from pushing through (Duchschere). The American people tried again in 1969. Supported by then President Richard Nixon, an amendment was unanimously approved in the House of Representatives only to be stalled in the Senate for almost one year until supporters lost their interest on the measure and it died a natural death. Republican Senator Eastland and Democratic Senator Thurmond, described as â€Å"notorious segregationists† because they had been observed to have â€Å"voted against every civil-rights and voting-rights measure† in the Senate, were responsible for its death (Electoral Justice). Americans now want their votes to be properly counted and their decisions duly respected. As Professor Keyssar aptly put it, Americans today believe that the Electoral College has ceased to mirror America’s â€Å"sense of social equality† (Hough). Hence, it is now time to say goodbye to the antiquated, obsolete Electoral College. The time has arrived to show the civilized world that in the United States of America, every man, every registered voter, has a right to vote and a right to demand that such vote be counted. Works Cited â€Å"Abolish the Electoral College? † Wilson Quarterly. Winter 2001, Vol 25, Issue 1, p. 97. 13 June 2007. http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=truedb=aphAN=4028232site=ehost-live Bates, Nathaniel. â€Å"What Are the Arguments Made in Favor – And Against – the Electoral College? † 26 October 2004. 15 June 2007. http://hnn. us/articles/8163. html Duchschere, Kevin. â€Å"JFK Led Opposition in 1956 Effort to Reform the Electoral College. † Minneapolis Star Tribune. 26 November 2000. 13 June 2007. http://www. freerepublic. com/forum/a3a20ce2a366a. htm Electoral Justice. â€Å"The Electoral College: An Embarassing Vestige of Slavery and Segregation. † 15 June 2007. http://www. iwantmyvote. com/justice/electoral_college/ Hough, Lory. â€Å"Why Do We Still Have The Electoral College? † News Stories. 13 June 2007. http://www. ksg. harvard. edu/news/news/2004/Keyssar_why-electoral_college_102904. htm National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). â€Å"U. S. Electoral College. † 13 June 2007. http://www. archives. gov/federal-register/electoral-college/index. html

Hospital Quality Improvement Essay Example for Free

Hospital Quality Improvement Essay Kausch and as a member of the quality improvement council. Corporate influences to assist in the hospital efforts consisted of providing staffing for QIP. The mentor was provided by headquarters staff, and in the case of WFRMC was Dr. Batalden (p. 525). The corporate headquarters also rovided a means for WFRMC to work with one of the other HCA hospitals to focus and develop self-assessment tools for department heads (McLaughlin Kaluzny, The impact of the programs that would be instilled in WFRMC can be 2006). measured through departmental quality improvement assessments. The scoring matrix of the self-assessment focused on approach, deployment (implementation), and effects ((McLaughlin Kaluzny, 2006). The approach includes the eight dimensions: leadership constancy, employee mindedness, customer mindedness, process focused, statistical thinking, PDCA driven, innovativeness, and regulatory proactiveness (p. 30). The implementation assessment was focused around the depth of deployment; the awareness, knowledge, understanding, and application of the plan (McLaughlin Kaluzny, 2006). The effects were assessed on the overall quality of measureable results. For example, CQI team for charting showed favorable results form quality improvement plans in that patient report availability was improved, and there were fewer phone calls [with regards to errors] (p. 537). Implementation programs. The obstetric department utilized a consultant to evaluate quality. The result of this was that it became clear that there was a demand for a system in hich a family-centered birth experience could occur (p. 541). This development ofa new family-centered system was based on the need to center its services on the customer preferences rather then a forced routine (McLaughlin Kaluzny, 2006). In order to implement a new system Ms. Cynthia Ayres, an administrative director, was assigned to implement this new concept. The result was that Ms. Ayres decided to use the CQI process to develop a new charge process and to evaluate the cost and resource consumption of the service (p. 541). In the evaluation all processes of a delivery were under analysis. Another tactical program that was supported with TQM was that of pharmacy. This was conducted as a result of the concern of the rapidly rising costs of inpatient drugs, especially antibiotics, which were costing the hospital about $1. 3 million per year (p. 543). A CQI team was formed and evaluated the process of how physicians selected antibiotics for treatment (McLaughlin Kaluzny, 2006). The end result of the CQI process was the recommendation that antibiotics be listed in order of increasing cost per average daily dose (McLaughlin Kaluzny, 2006)

The Reflection Of Reading And Writing Experiences English Literature Essay

The Reflection Of Reading And Writing Experiences English Literature Essay On the first day of my Freshman high school English, I entered the classroom with an extremely self-assured, even intermediate, sort of feeling. I signed in late and tiptoed to the last seat in the classroom, comfortably supporting my feet on the seat in front of me. Every year, English has been my worst subject and I failed at it. I had to work hard for every grade I earned in that class and thus far proved to be a real challenge in my mind. Every time I complete an assignment, I procrastinated and eventually end up writing ten page essays the night before or the day of and still would average an A- on all of them. This was definitely the worst thing I could do to improve my Reading and Writing, since I felt no confidence or remorse towards my actions. I would stay up late or wake up 2 hours in the morning, just to finish a paper that I loathed writing. This bad nature of staying up to finish a paper led me to believe that I was untouchable, when it came to writing that is. This asp ersion led me to ask the question, what is there that I dont already know? I thought I was an english god. Too bad I was in for a major eye-opener. One big problems that I found constant throughout all my writing pieces and projects was the difficulty answering the why is it important? question. When I wrote something, I knew exactly what my thoughts and ideas meant, but the problem was, I assumed that my audience did too. I also never clarified the common knowledge that I would find by researching. I would increasingly display vague information and would assume that my audience felt the same kind of sympathy towards say, my memoir, as I did. This problem still progresses in all of writings to this day, but its not in the worst phase it could possibly be in. As I had started my freshmen year in high school, my writing was unreadable because it had no intentions, no moral. I would finish the paper just to get the A I need, and nothing more. But all that has changed as I progressed through my junior and senior years. Besides my slight writing deformities, I have accomplished many pieces that has made me content of my writing. Such as my excellent introductions, that not only catch the readers attention, but also to get them hooked into reading my entire pieces. In all my pieces, the introduction, for me, is the most important part, so I make it very descriptive and inspiring. They force the audience into a phase of wonder, and make them research about a certain topic even after theyve reviewed my paper. I love to put big words and complex looking sentences, just to make my audience happy, excited, and even in disbelief right from the start. If it wasnt for the constant peer reviews and teacher conferences during my junior and senior year, I would have had never been made aware of my strengths and weaknesses. At first, I hated peer reviews. I felt like it was a waste of my time and effort. But soon after I got the gist of the whole thing, my essays always came back with a Good job! or a smiley face, demonstrating my writing accomplishments. Peer reviews helped me see what I can improve on and where exactly I make my paper sound awkward or just plain weird. After all the experience, I like to say, peer reviews, thanks for everything. When it comes to Reading, my journey just takes a new route every single year. Even when I entered high school, I wasnt much of a readerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦nope, not even one book that I would actually want to read during my pastime. I felt so jaded from any kinds of reading materials, whether it was a book, a magazines, or even the Sunday comics. I felt very detached because most of my years I spent watching TV was when I shouldve picked up a book and plowed through it, if not even the first page. Even summer reading! I was never motivated to read those lame pieces of writing because they were a waste of my time (as I thought). Peer pressure on books, like Harry Potter, never seemed to induce me into reading either. At this point I had no idea what my future would be like without reading. But just as I had lost hope, just as I was about to stop, I gained moral reason through a system I like to called read and reward. For every book I read, I was awarded with a little extra credit or a pi ece of a snicker bar (sophomore year). I felt as if I was in a contest, and the rewards were sweet! As a result, I started reading more and more books, especially during my junior year. Such as, Of mice and men, The Great Gatsby, and little excerpts from Moby Dick. I may not have loved all of them, but at least I felt like I earned the grade I received through hard work (through actual reading). From that point on, I started to read and most importantly, began to feel more confident. With every page I read, I would clinch my dictionary in one hand and would sit there, reading and searching for an elongated word that I could add to knowledge. That for me was like playing a video game; turn the page (press the buttons) and search (look for a win). Now I felt like I was spending my time in the best way possible. Not just improving my reading skills, but also fitting into the society today. As I progress throughout my senior year in high school, I will always remember the strategies I have learned and taken from previous years. Reading and Writing may not be my best subjects, but so far they have been my best improvements. Im proud to say that now I have truly accelerated in my Reading and Writing career and will further due so.

Macbeth as an Archetype of the Devil :: essays research papers

In the tragic play of Macbeth, Shakespeare creates a protagonist that resembles the archetype of the devil. With Satan, leader of the forces of evil, and the Dragon, or rebel against God, from the Bible and John Milton's epic allegory Paradise Lost, these roles fit as archetypes for the protagonist, Macbeth. There is also significant ways in which Shakespeare contrasted his protagonist against the Devil. Macbeth and Satan are characterized for being great and powerful, above the normal man or angel. 'For brave Macbeth ' well he deserves that name Disdaining Fortune, with his brandished steel? from Macbeth (I, ii, 16-17).The two character relates to each other for their loyalty and trust, which acknowledged them with great honor and power to make changes, whether good or bad. 'Say first for Heaven hides nothing from thy view Nor the deep Tract of Hell say first what cause Mov'd our Grand Parents in that happy state, Favour'd of heav'n so highly ' He trusted to have equal'd the most High' (I, 27-40). Once given a high position, they begin to desire more power, to become God, to become King. 'I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds, I will be like the most High' (Isaiah, 14: 14). The devil, seen as the Dragon, who rebels against God, betrays God and fights against those who goes any challengers. 'And there appeared another wonder in Heaven, and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.' (Revelation, 12: 3) 'And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought his angels,' (Revelation, 12: 7). Macbeth, does the same thing as the dragon, he rebels against the king, and tries to kill anyone who can get in his way. ?With his surcease, success that but his blow Might be the be ? all and the end ? all here ? Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague th? inventor, this even ? handed justice.? From Macbeth (I, vii, 4-10) Shakespeare cleverly added incomparable differences in his protagonist and the Devil. The characters may desire the same thing, but have alternative ways of doing things. For example, Satan is the leader of forces of evil, which means he is the one who has tempted others into following him. ?Had cast him out of heav?n, with all his Host Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring To set himself in Glory above his Peers ?

Stonehenge :: European Europe History

Stonehenge Stonehenge, one of the great Seven Wonders of the World, but what do we really know about it. What was its purpose, how was it built and by whom. Many different answers come up when asking the question "What was the purpose of Stonehenge", some say that it was a horrid place, which the Druids used for religious sacrifice, but most others have a more positive idea. A temple of the sun, a Pagan Cathedral, or a holy sanctuary in the midst of blessed ground, or maybe a clock or even a place to Predict Eclipses. No one really knows what it was used for; this is due to a great number of facts surrounding all of these ideas. Many ideas come up when talking about why this great structure was built along with an equal amount on who built it. The Druids is the most common response because the Druids inhabited most of the area in which Stonehenge is built. The Pagans are another common answer to this age old question because of the building structure of Stonehenge how it resembles a Pagan Cathe dral. Whoever built Stonehenge, they were an extremely advanced society either on purpose or by complete fluke. Many say that because of Stonehenge's exact solar and lunar alignment. That is was the most common thought is that it was built to predict eclipses for worshiping. The following essay is going to state the facts and myths about the great Stonehenge. By the end of this essay, hopefully a solid conclusion will be found to be the most plausible answer for Stonehenges construction. The moon, it has been a sight for all over time. Back long ago little was none of the reasons for an eclipses, it was thought to be a sing from the gods. In a society which worshiped gods for all the mysteries of the world, the eclipse must have been very special. The builders of Stonehenge must have been marveled at the sight of this holy event, which happened every four years. Most likely the great Stonehenge was built to be a prediction device for the eclipse. Many people have studied Stonehenge and many have found that the stones are mathematically placed to show when and eclipse might occur. "In favor of this solution - that the Aubrey holes were used as a computer are these facts: the number 56 is the smallest number that measures the swing of the moon with an over-all accuracy of better than 3 days, and lunar cycles provide the only method of long-range eclipse prediction related to the seasons of the year.

Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby as Commentary on the Failure of Society E

Fitzgerald's Corrupt View of Society in The Great Gatsby       "What people are ashamed of usually makes a good story," was said of Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby. The Great Gatsby is about the American Society at its worst and the downfall of those who attempt to reach its illusionary goals. The idea is that through wealth and power, one can acquire happiness. To get his happiness Jay Gatsby must reach into the past and relive an old dream. In order to achieve his dream, he must have wealth and power. Fitzgerald was wrong in the way he presented Gatsby's American Society because of the way Gatsby made money, found love, and lived his life.    The way in which Gatsby made money was a despicable practice. Gatsby's bootlegging business made him millions. The time during Prohibition in the 1920's was a opportune time to take advantage of the lack of alcohol and sell it for those who would pay large sums for it. Organized criminals catered to the needs of the drinking public by illegally supplying them with liquor. The book and Fitzgerald didn't reference straight to t...

Administrative Ethics Essay

This article presents a case study highlighting the conflict between an individual’s right to privacy and the rights of patients and staff to know when a professional standard has been breached. The process by which the administrator determines a course of action is reviewed in the context of workplace realities through an ethical analysis. The growth of information systems and the increased involvement of third parties in decision-making have created new issues regarding confidentiality and the release of sensitive information for health care personnel who are in a position of public trust. The issues facing nursing administrators are complex, and of particular concern are the conflicting demands of providing quality care with limited resources. The authors identify strategies to deal with the workplace issues that give rise to the potential for abuse as well as the strategies to support an impaired colleague who attempts to reenter the workforce (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, & Bower, 1998). When asking the general public what health care ethics and health care privacy mean, most will relate that they are about protecting patients. Health care ethics and health care privacy do exist to protect patients and to ensure that care is delivered with moral and ethical standards. Health care ethics not only apply to patients, but to organizations as well. The rapidly changing world of health care is witnessing a growing need for institutional ethics that includes ethical employer-employee relations. The article cited in this paper highlights two managers that encounter an employee diverting narcotics on the job, how each manager deals with this incident, and the ethical dilemma of whether this employee is entitled to confidentiality or if fellow staff should be informed of the narcotic abuse. Identifying and analyzing the ethical question is how the best possible solution may be determined. By examining the issue and its impact on the population affected, discussing the proposed solution, and highlighting the ethical and legal implications of the issue will explain managerial responsibilities in this case. Issue and Impact The article reflects the ethical dilemma of whether or not an employee who has been identified as using diverted narcotics on the job is entitled to confidentiality or if the staff involved with the employee are entitled to know about the drug abuse. Jackie is a nurse that has returned to work after taking many years off to raise a family. She takes a job at a hospital working in the flexible staffing pool. As time passes, Jackie finds that work is extremely stressful because she rarely works in the same unit. She is asked to pass meds and perform work she is unfamiliar with and despite asking for help, has not received adequate support. The increasing stress leads Jackie to divert narcotics. Jackie’s diversion of narcotics goes unnoticed for quite awhile because she works in so many different units. She is eventually discovered when she spends three weeks in the same unit covering for someone’s vacation. Michele and Karen are both nursing administrators involved in Jackie’s case. Jackie reports directly to Karen, who is head of the flexible nursing pool. Michele is the nursing administrator of the unit Jackie was discovered diverting narcotics from. Karen makes the decision to grant Jackie a leave of absence to pursue rehabilitation. The stipulation of completion of the rehabilitation program will allow Jackie to return to her job. Karen does not report Jackie to the State Board of Registered Professional Nurses because she is actively engaging in rehabilitation activities. Following these events, Michele meets with the human resources director, the nurse manager of the unit Jackie was working on when the drugs were diverted, and the chair of the nursing ethics committee to determine if further action should be taken. Michele believes that Jackie has a right to privacy and confidentiality, but thinks that an open staff discussion is needed to highlight for the staff the prevalence of nurse addiction. She also wants to identify if anyone knew or suspected Jackie’s diversion of narcotics and didn’t act. Karen’s concern is motivated by not knowing how to handle Jackie’s issue should she return to work and by the fact that Jackie compromised patient’s pain relief by diverting their narcotics. Karen objected to planning an open staff meeting because she felt  it would compromise Jackie’s confidentiality. Supporting the Proposed Solution The issues to address involve separating the greater good of the patient population and the rights of the other staff from the individual right of Jackie’s confidentiality. Karen believes that confidentiality should be protected without exception and that the corrective action initiated by the administration was adequat e. Karen also argues that if Jackie’s situation becomes common knowledge to staff, they might fear that other confidential information will be shared by administration. Michele believes that Jackie’s actions warranted a discussion with the nursing staff to determine if anyone knew or suspected and why they did not act. Despite Jackie’s willing participation in rehabilitation, she still needs to self-report to the State Board of Nursing. Mandatory reporting for most state boards includes actual or suspected drug diversion (Arizona State Board of Nursing, 2012). The State Board of Nurse Examiners assesses each report and can take disciplinary action, ranging from a reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, or refusal to renew a license (Badzek et al., 1998). Michele needs to collect information about her organizational policy and procedures in relation to impaired employees. The state Nurse Practice Act provides standards of practice that reflect current state laws and regulations. In the absence of relevant law, ethics help determine what is morally acceptable (Weinstein, 1995). Information regarding the ethical and proper managemen t of nurses with substance abuse problems is also available through the American Associations of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). The arguments for protecting private information are closely linked to human dignity and respect (Garrett, Baillie, & Garrett, 2009). It is incredibly important for Michele to utilize all of these resources to sort through her legal and ethical obligations to patients, Jackie, other staff, and her profession. Managerial Responsibility Michele ultimately honors Jackie’s privacy and confidentiality, but in order to fulfill her ethical obligation to the nursing profession, she also finds solutions to place measures to provide competent, ethical nursing conduct. Solutions include: 1) clarifying policies and issues of employee  confidentiality 2) Identifying and developing education for administration in identification of ethical issues and decision making 3) Reviewing and improving policy in regards to impaired employees 4) Educating all staff about the signs and symptoms of drug abuse, reporting requirements, and the available resources. Conclusion When discussing privacy and c onfidentiality in healthcare we often assume that this is in regards to patients only. What the healthcare community is finding is that it is equally important to have clear policy and code regarding privacy in employer-employee relations. Ethical dilemmas are complex and require collection of all pertinent information to find ethical solutions. This paper highlighted an ethical dilemma that involved a choice between honoring an employee’s privacy and disclosing important information involving substance abuse to the other staff. Examining the facts and collecting information from professional organizations and regulatory agencies assisted in reaching an ethical decision. Not only was the employee’s privacy honored, the organization improved processes to recognize and deal with substance abuse more effectively.