Avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting

Avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting is of crucial importance in the healthcare industry if the reputation of the healthcare provider has to remain intact. People in senior positions in the medical profession, such as faculty and supervisors exercise considerable authority and power over people that they supervise.

It is thus necessary for those in supervisory positions in a medical practice, clinic, hospital or university setting to show utmost constraint in their behavior towards those over whom they have supervisory responsibilities and avoid amorous relationships in a healthcare setting.

A clear definition of terms

Laws clearly prohibit medical faculty and staff, which include graduate assistants, in a healthcare setting, from having amorous relationships with students over whom they have supervisory responsibilities. A supervisory responsibility is one in which the person in this position teaches, evaluates, tutors, advocates, counsels and/or advises duties performed directly and currently.

This can be either inside the office or outside it, or the clinic or a hospital setting. Amorous relationships have to be avoided, whether the person with a supervisory responsibility is part of the faculty, or is a staff member or a graduate assistant, with respect to a medical, nursing or healthcare professional student.

Definition of tasks carried out by supervisory personnel

The activities that come under the purview of these responsibilities are clear-cut, so that care is taken for avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting. Any of the staff that administers, provides or supervises of all academic, co-curricular or extra- curricular services and activities, opportunities, awards or benefits offered by or through the health entity or its personnel in their official capacity come under the ambit of those who need to be avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting.

The most important reason for which employees who supervise, evaluate or in any other way directly affect the terms and conditions of the employment of their reportees have to avoid amorous relationships in a healthcare setting is that it is prohibited even in cases in which mutual consent is present, or appears to be present.

There are financial reasons for avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting

Avoiding getting into and cultivating an amorous relationship in a healthcare setting is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, it fosters a climate of positivity and healthfulness in the medical practice or clinic or hospital, thus leading to increase in the productivity and morale of the employees.

Beyond this, avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting is also important from a purely financial perspective, as the lawsuit figures from a January 2012 by Jury Verdict Research, Inc. show:

• The costs of jury awards for employment-practice liability cases has been going up consistently from the past nearly couple of decades
• From 1994 to 2000, the overall average jury award in discrimination cases was $150,000
• Sexual harassment complaints increased by nearly one and a half times between 1995 and 1998
• Just about half of all small businesses offer training to their staff on sexual harassment prevention, while three fourths of large companies do.

Learn the nature of the law to avoid amorous relationships in a healthcare setting

To get a clear understanding of the law that relates to avoiding amorous relationships in a healthcare setting and to avoid getting into legal complications, attend a webinar on this topic that is being organized by MentorHealth, a highly popular provider of professional trainings for the healthcare industry.

David Edward Marcinko, Founding Dean of the fiduciary focused CERTIFIED MEDICAL PLANNER® chartered designation education program and Professor and physician executive, will be the speaker at this webinar. To register for this session, please visit

http://www.mentorhealth.com/control/w_product/~product_id=800936/?Wordpress

At this session, David will cover the following areas:

• Consensual Amorous Relationships Defined
• Handling Patient Advances
• Signs of Flirtatious Behavior and Discouragement
• Sexual Harassment Defined
• Preferential Treatment
• Un Reasonable Interference with Performance
• Two-Pronged Test Approach
• Offensive Behavior
• Gender Based Animosity
• Same Sex Harassment
• Employer Liability
• Disciplinary Actions
• Tangible Employment Actions
• Punitive Damages
• Financial and Economic Costs.