Ethics Scenario #98: Harristown Home for the Aged

98. Matilda is a nurse at the Harristown Home for the Aged, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The home has a substantial waiting list, because of the reputation it has for providing quality care at affordable fees. Her mother has been getting up in years, and recently suffered a fall and broke her hip. Matilda is unwilling to trust the care of her mother to other facilities that might not have as a good a reputation as the facility for which she works. She recognizes that she cannot afford to take months, if not years, off to care for her mother in her home, and pleads with the executive director, Xeno, to bend the rules and admit Matilda’s mom as a patient as soon as there is an open bed. Xeno agrees to accommodate Matilda’s request.

a. Is Matilda being unethical by making this request?

b. Is Xeno being unethical by agreeing to the request?

c. Would the situation be any different if it was a major donor of the institution who was making the request rather than a staff member?