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Confidentiality in the medical field
Confidentiality in the medical field
Confidentiality in the medical field
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In this log, one of the most important aspect of law in reference to the role of nurses and decision making will be discussed. I chose Confidentiality as the topic to be discussed and this log will also define it with regards to how it affects and make an impact to the nursing practice. Maintaining confidentiality is fundamental and essential for the nurse and patient relationship as it gives confidence and expectation to them that the nurse will be able to respect their right to privacy and by ensuring confidentiality(Griffith & Tengnah, 2014). Nurses are also obligated to maintain and respect the confidentiality of the patient professionally and legally because it is emphasised in the NMC code and is also stated in HPC standards (Gallagher …show more content…
A duty of confidence occurs when a person shares information to another in any circumstances where it is sensible to expect that the informations will be held in certainty (Griffith & Tengnah, 2014).This obligation is a lawful commitment derived from case law, a professional codes of conduct requirement and in the employment NHS contract, connected to disciplinary procedures. Therefore, it is very important that all the nurses should be well aware and understand that they should only use the informations they receive from the patient to deliver a service and not for any other purpose (Beech, 2007). In 2012, Jacintha Saldanha who is a staff nurse treating Kate Middleton in a central London hospital committed a suicide and was found dead after a hoax call regarding Middleton’s medical condition (Nursing times Press Association, 2012). This phone call were the nurse disclosed the informations put the confidentiality of the patient at risk and shows the significance of confidentiality to be implemented in the nursing practice at all times. It is clearly shows that without her consent or authorisation, her confidentiality …show more content…
Nurses need to consider the issues of confidentiality before deciding whether information disclosure is appropriate. The best practice is to obtain the consent of the patient unless their safety is at risk of harm or a serious crime committed. This log outlined some of the key issues of confidentiality and noted that confidentiality can be complex concept. Therefore, nurses must carefully balance the need to maintain confidentiality against the needs and welfare of individuals. I attended a full day trust induction before my placement and surprised that they did not discuss confidentiality and information sharing. In addition, we had our Information Governance training that we need to do before placement and learned the importance and our responsibility when it comes to confidentiality and handling patient’s informations. However, all student and registered nurses will benefit from ongoing confidential training and it will help them with
Confidentiality is a major topic within care environments. When it comes to deciding what information is shared and who it is shared amongst can be difficult. Confidential information, is information that is ‘not to be told to anyone’ (The Open University, 2015, p. 58). Information that is sensitive or not publicly known is confidential, also if information is given by a person who is in a setting where confidentially is expected then that information should remain private and not shared with others. It can be very difficult for a staff member to find the balance between knowing what information is confidential and appropriate information that needs to be shared between the staff team.
In this essay the author will rationalize the relevance of professional, ethical and legal regulations in the practice of nursing. The author will discuss and analyze the chosen scenario and critically review the action taken in the expense of the patient and the care workers. In addition, the author will also evaluates the strength and limitations of the scenario in a broader issue with reasonable judgement supported by theories and principles of ethical and legal standards.
In my ethics class, I was taught on different principles regarding to decision-making. Nursing school has taught me different issues that I can face in my career. One of the biggest ethics issues I learned about is patient confidentiality. We will never disclose any information to unauthorized personnel without patient consent. We have an ethical obligation to patient confidentiality and not to breech this. In clinical and class, while we discuss our patient, we do not use any of the patient’s names. When we talk about our patient, we do it in a close private room and not in the hallway where everyone can hear. As a graduate professional nurse, I need to be aware of patient confidentiality and other ethic issue in order to maintain the
The healthcare system can be difficult for clients to navigate and they are often unsure how to access information which puts them at the mercy of others and can lead to feelings of helplessness (Erlen, 2006). Nurses can provide resources to educate patients when they becomes dependent on a health care provider and no longer feel in control of their own body which can lead to fear, hopelessness, helplessness and loss of control (Cousley et al., 2014). The change in roles individuals face can further increase their stress and feelings of powerlessness (Scanlon & Lee, 2006). According to the CNA code of ethics, nurses are responsible for protecting patients from objective risks that place them in an increased level of vulnerability (Carel, 2009). They can do this by providing the resources necessary for patients to educate themselves and be better able to cope with the health challenges they
Recent developments in standard of care and professional relationship with patients have made law fundamental to the study and practice of nursing. At every stage of patients care, law helps bring up to date nursing practice and it is essential that nurses understand the legal and ethical implications of law in their nursing profession (Griffith and Tengrah, 2011). The purpose of this essay is to discuss the concept of consent in relation to the role of the nurse. This will aim at demonstrate ethical and legal implication of consent on nursing practice and professional working. In the Code (2008, cited in Griffith and Tengrah, 2011) the Nursing and Midwifery Council set standards for nursing professional to follow. Among the rules is the requirement of nurses to obtain consent before care is given.
1. Legal, ethical and professional principle frameworks underpin all fields of nursing, and it is a requirement for all Registered Nurses to be competent and knowledgeable, act with integrity and maintain professional standards set out by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2015). Working with multidisciplinary teams within our profession, it is important to acknowledge and recognise the way in which all the professionals are guided by law and their independent regulatory bodies. The needs of the individual patient is to be considered by doctors and nurses alike, who share professional values and are set out in the respective codes of practice, The Code (NMC, 2015) and GMC (2013).
Nursing surrounds the concept of patient care physically, mentally and ethically. The therapeutic relationship that is created is built on the knowledge and skills of the nurse and relies on patient and nurse trusting one another. The use of nursing skills can ensure these boundaries are maintained, it allows for safe patient care. Professional boundaries are the line that nurses cannot cross, involving aspects such as patient confidentiality and privacy, ensuring legal aspects of nursing and the boundaries put in place are not breached. However, nurses accepting financial or personal gain from patient can also cross these professional boundaries. It is only through education in this area that the rights of patients can be preserved, as well as the nursing standards. Through education in areas such as confidentiality, boundaries can remain in tact and the patient care can remain within the zone of helpfulness.
Which is very important for nurses or any medical professional to do in the healthcare profession. Nurses are receiving these patients in their most vulnerable state, nurses are exposed and trusted with the patients’ information to further assist them on providing optimum treatment. Keeping patient’s information private goes back to not just doing what’s morally right but also it also builds that nurse – patient relationship as well. We also have provision three that specifically taps on this issue as well, as it states: “The nurse seeks to protect the health, safety, and rights of patient.” (Nurses Code of Ethics,
This training is needed because in the last year, the institution encounter approximately twenty five legal issues regarding patient records confidentiality, even though employees regularly attend training on this matter, it’s of vital importance to transfer the learning to new employees to avoid legal actions when patient confidentiality is broken. Since the clinic now operates with electronic records instead of paper records, the safeguard of patient confidentiality
College of Nurses of Ontario,(2009).Practice Guidelines: Confidentiality and privacy-Personal Health Information. Retrieved April 3, 2014 from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41069_privacy.pdf
As a nurse, it is within your role to safeguard the right to privacy for individuals. To ensure that nurses are adhering to this, ethical strategies have been proposed and implemented from a legal and regulatory body.
Nurses should remain non-judgemental towards patients, families or staff regardless of their back ground, religious beliefs or age (“Equality Act 2010”) Regardless of where you work nurses are duty bound to maintain effective practice through clinical governance frameworks such as, audits, ensuring healthcare is safe for every person every time and the best of available resources are used. (NHS FIFE 2010) Effective collaboration is also important within a multidisciplinary team to enable safe delivery and promote high quality holistic care that will enhance better patient outcomes for instance, referral to the appropriate services, professionals. Throughout a nurses’ career they will face clinical ethical dilemmas for instance, families that want a nurse to deny telling the patient the truth about their medical condition as the families believe this could detrimental to the patients’ wellbeing. The decisions a nurse will make could be affected by a few factors such as, own personal beliefs, values and
Nursing may be seen as very independent work even though there will be situations that will require others. Friendships may be formed; however, to have professional interactions is something that is not always followed. In terms of patient confidentiality, we may not realize that a HIPPA violation has occurred due to friendly conversation with coworkers. If a patient were to overhear their nurse discussing their information in an unprofessional manner then it may cause issues with a patient’s dignity and their rights. If a patient’s right is violated then it can lead to a patient’s mistrust in their caregiver, leading to mistrust in the facilities, and can end with a patient’s health being compromised. The patient is the reason for this career; if the needs of the patient are being unmet or violated then the purpose of our occupation will be unsuccessful and
As social media becomes an essential way to communicate, nurse must be aware of what are appropriate and illegitimate uses of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms. Nurses must use their best judgment in what they post, because they are responsible for protecting the public view of nurses, and most importantly, former and present patient confidentiality. Social media education should not start when a nurse starts their career, but while they are still in school. Richard G. Booth of Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, Canada, studied the use of Twitter by nursing students. In 2011, Booth collected 498 tweets over a six day period. He created five groups and divided 189 tweets into those specific themed
In conclusion, there are numerous legal and ethical issues apparent in the nursing practice. Nurses should study and be as informed as they can with ethics and legality within their field in order to ensure no mistakes occur. Ethical issues vary based on patient’s views, religion, and environment. Nurses are influenced by these same views, but most of the time they are not the same as the patients. As a nurse we must learn to put the care of our patients and their beliefs, rights, and wishes before our own personal