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
Overall these sources proved to provide a great deal of information to this nurse. All sources pertained to HIPAA standards and regulations. This nurse sought out an article from when HIPAA was first passed to evaluate the timeline prospectively. While addressing the implications of patient privacy, these articles relate many current situations nurses and physicians encounter daily. These resources also discussed possible violations and methods to prevent by using an informaticist and information technology.
In this paper I will discuss the ethical dilemmas, ethical principles, values from CNO, and CNA, I will also discuss the laws. I will give opinions about my chosen scenario, how I felt and what I thought of it. The best action based on the analysis of this situation is for the nurse not to disclose this patient private and confidential information to her friend. Because if the nurse gives any information of her patient to her friend goes against CNO professional standards, (CNO, 2002). CNO defines standards as “Standards apply to all nurses regardless of their role, job description or area of practice,” (CNO, 2002).
Provision 3.1 of the ANA’s Code of Ethics states that the nurse will promote, advocate, and protect patients’ privacy and confidentiality (American Nurses Association, 2012). The protection of our patients’ privacy is fundamental. The ANA Code of Ethics is not a suggestion; it is a mandate to all nurses. The code calls for nurses to act when the rights of the patient or the nurse are violated through the actions of others (Edmonson, 2010). Even under FERPA guidelines, it is difficult to make an argument for the release of the student’s personal information in the manner of the large staff
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,
All workplaces and organisations need confidentiality policy in every health and social care sector, and the confidentiality procedures needs to be followed carefully to keep the person’s health position safe from unlawful people that can humiliate the person and they may lose their own self-respect. The only times that confidentiality shouldn’t be followed when someone who can self-harm, may not tell any kind of harm that has happened to them, and when they may be threatened by someone.
Disclosing confidential patient information without patient consent can happen in the health care field quite often and is the basis for many cases brought against health care facilities. There are many ways confidential information gets into the wrong hands and this paper explores some of those ways and how that can be prevented.
However, we are looking at a case study where patients safety has been compromised, professionalism has been voided, lack of communication, nurses aren’t liable for their work, the duty of care has been breached and lot more issues can be discovered. Which will be incorporated in this paper. Looking at the patient Christopher Hammett
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.
An ethical dilemma is defined as a mental state when the nurse has to make a choice between the options and choices that he or she has at her disposal. The choice is a crucial task as the opting of the step will subsequently determine the health status of the concerned patient, hence it requires a great deal of wisdom along with proper medical and health training before any such step is opted as it is a matter of life and death. Strong emphasis should therefore be on the acquisition of proper knowledge and skills so that nurses do posses the autonomy to interact with patients regarding ethical issues involved in health care affairs and address them efficiently. It is normally argued that nurses are not provided sufficient authority to consult and address their patients on a more communicative or interactive level as a result of which they are often trapped in predicaments where their treatments of action and their personal beliefs create a conflict with the health interests of the patient. (Timby, 2008)
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
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.
Out of all the duties of a nurse, one of the most important duties is how the nurse honors the trust of a patient by maintaining the patient’s privacy and safeguarding the patient’s information confidentially. Privacy is the ability of the patient to make the choices in how to handle information regarding him or herself that other individuals are not aware of. As an example, prior to releasing the patient’s private information, the nurse must notify the patient on how their information will be handled and get consent from the patient
As health care providers, nurses strive to instill confidence in their patients and their loved ones. A nurse is respectful to their colleagues as well as their patients. Nurses promote patients’ independence, patients can be confident in the knowledge that a nurse will do what is best for them, respecting their privacy and dignity. This means that a nurse does not share the patient information for personal reasons nor does the nurse get involved in a patients personal relationship if it is not medically relevant (NCSBN, 2011).
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.
A norm in society is when an individual sees danger they are supposed to report it to the authorities, therefore preventing any further damage. Breach of confidentiality is when a nurse shares information about a patient to others who are not authorized to know about the patients personal information. Due to this, patients are afraid to be honest with their physicians and nurses that are treating them. In order to assure pati...