Deregistration is considered one of the options to minimize the problem of professional misconduct in a healthcare setting, but it is crucial to understand that this is not the feasible solution to the particular problem of misconduct. The decision of deregistration is not an easy approach as it involves the prestige of the healthcare professionals. The strict decision of permanent termination of the guilty healthcare professional from their jobs ultimately closes all the means for them to rectify their professional mistakes and prove themselves as productive healthcare professionals.
It is crucial to understand that deregistration should not be the practical approach in all cases of professional misconduct as there is the involvement of different forms in case of misconduct. The particular feature of the specific nature of professional misconduct plays a crucial role in the determination of the punishment in the case of guilty healthcare professionals (Elkin, Spittal, Elkin, & Studdert, 2012). Deregistration is the extreme option that comes with the consideration of the permanent termination of the healthcare professional. The step of deregistration ultimately influences the ethical approach of the guilty healthcare professional in a negative manner. There is the possibility that if the person once performs any professional misconduct mistakenly, the penalty of deregistration negatively encourages individuals to adopt this practice again maybe somewhere else. If there is the observation of crossing the boundary by the healthcare provider then it can happen again if not effectively addressed by the decision-makers (Galletly, 2004).
It is mandatory for the decision makers to understand that the option of deregistration in case of guilty healthcare professionals cannot be considered as the permanent solution as it never stops an individual to perform any professional misconduct. There is a need for a more concrete ethical foundation to avoid the issue of professional misconduct. If healthcare institutes adopt, a better approach to the provision of ethical healthcare practices then issues such as deregistration can be avoided.
References
Elkin, K., Spittal, M. J., Elkin, D., & Studdert, D. M. (2012). Removal of doctors from practice for professional misconduct in Australia and New Zealand. BMJ Qual Saf, bmjqs-2012-000941.
Galletly, C. A. (2004). Crossing professional boundaries in medicine: the slippery slope to patient sexual exploitation. Medical Journal of Australia, 181(7), 380.
