The topic of ethics may stretch to include a large number of possible violations of ethics. In the following case, the stress of the decision about working for an unethical employer did cause the employee to sue the employer for, just that, stress. “Gillian Morgan, the practice nurse who worked for Harold Shipman, is to sue the former GP and his employers for £100,000 damages for stress.” (Practice Nurse, 2003) Stress is generally what manifests within an employee when an ethical dilemma arises. The Nurse Practitioner likely does not know all there is to know about the employer when first hired and certainly knows much less during the pre-hire phase. The information later revealed about an employer, perhaps a history of unreported sexual harassment, would cause stress in the workforce.
The case of Gillian Morgan is not as direct, since her employer did not directly address her to enable her stress levels. “Mrs. Morgan – who worked for Shipman for 10 years at his surgery in Hyde, Greater Manchester – claims she has suffered from stress since learning that her employer was Britain’s worst serial killer and had killed patients. The inquiry into Shipman’s murders heard that Mrs. Morgan was asked to give victim Joan Harding, 82, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage in the surgery consulting room. This was to hide a killing by lethal injection.” (Practice Nurse, 2003)
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The stress related to covering up murder is even greater when the charges of assisted murder are issued to the individual who was only doing their job. There is also question to how someone can work for an employer for 10 years before having such an ethical dilemma. Was she helping him and then realized he was about to get caught and did not want to be associated with the homicides? There is no definitive answer to that question. However, it is interesting to note of her decision to sue for £100,000, which is an interesting pursuit considering the charges of murder pending.
- Shipman’s practice nurse seeks £100,000 in damages for stress. (2003). Practice Nurse, 26(3), 12.
Tyke, J. (2007). Everyone has a limit …. Practice Nurse, 33(5), 58.
