Privacy Breaches Are Serious Offenses That Negatively Affect ✓ Solved

Privacy Breaches Are Serious Offenses That Negatively Affect

Privacy breaches are serious offenses that negatively affect the trust between nurses and patients. To maintain this trust, nurses must maintain the privacy and security of patient information. Read the scenarios below related to the protection of health information.

Scenario 1: A nurse posted the following comment on her social media page: “Can this shift be any longer? It started out with a waiting room full of nagging people that don’t seem to know what “emergency” means. Then I had to deal with the drama of trying to transfer a 400 lbs. (no joke) intubated COPD patient down the hall to the ICU; those ICU nurses are such divas, and I wasn’t in the mood for their whining. Someone help! Describe the privacy and security issues related to this social media posting.

Scenario 2: A nurse educator is preparing a presentation poster for an infectious disease conference. She includes pictures of varying stages of a client’s lesions in the poster. Describe the privacy and security issues related to the inclusion of patient information on the poster.

Scenario 3: Marcus was admitted to the hospital from a long-term care facility. He was diagnosed with dehydration and delirium. He is expected to return to the facility. The charge nurse at the facility calls for an update regarding his status. Describe the privacy and security issues related to sharing this information with the long-term care facility.

Paper For Above Instructions

In today's healthcare environment, the protection of patient privacy is paramount. Nurses and healthcare professionals are entrusted with sensitive information that, if mishandled, can lead to serious privacy breaches. This paper will explore three scenarios related to privacy in nursing practice, explaining the potential security issues involved.

Scenario 1: Social Media Missteps

The first scenario involves a nurse who publicly shares frustrations from her shift on social media. This posting raises significant privacy and security concerns. Firstly, the nurse mentions a specific patient situation involving an "intubated COPD patient," implicitly identifying a patient even if not by name (Terry et al., 2020). Healthcare professionals are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which mandates the protection of all personally identifiable information related to a patient's health (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2021).

Additionally, such a post could be perceived as a breach of the professional code of conduct, which advocates for respect and dignity for all patients. By expressing negative sentiments about patients—referred to as “nagging people”—the nurse dehumanizes them, which undermines the trust essential for the nurse-patient relationship (Terry et al., 2020). Colleagues reading this content may also lose confidence in the nurse's professionalism, further damaging team dynamics and patient care standards. Lastly, this behavior might result in disciplinary action against the nurse, influencing the reputation of the healthcare facility and potentially leading to legal implications surrounding privacy breaches.

Scenario 2: Presentation Poster Concerns

The second scenario pertains to a nurse educator preparing a presentation poster with images of a patient's lesions. In this case, the inclusion of identifiable photographs raises grave ethical concerns. Even with the intention of educating peers at an infectious disease conference, displaying patient information in any format without explicit consent violates patient confidentiality (Reed & Lentz, 2019). The ethical principle of autonomy emphasizes the need for patient consent before using their health information for educational purposes (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Failure to obtain consent can lead to breaches of privacy and may even discourage patients from seeking necessary medical care, fearing that their information will be mishandled (Macrae, 2018).

Moreover, any identifiable information, including photographs, may expose the facility to lawsuits if the patient experiences a breach or injury due to unauthorized sharing of their health information (Gellert, 2016). Such incidents can erode trust between healthcare providers and patients, as individuals may feel their dignity and their right to privacy have been disregarded in the name of professional development.

Scenario 3: Communication with Long-Term Care Facility

The final scenario involves communication between a charge nurse at a long-term care facility and the hospital regarding a patient named Marcus. Sharing health information about a patient requires careful consideration to maintain confidentiality. While communicating with other healthcare entities is necessary for patient care coordination, the charge nurse must ensure that appropriate protocols are followed (Wager et al., 2017).

For example, health information must only be shared with individuals and organizations involved in Marcus's care, and there must be verification of the identity of the requester to comply with HIPAA regulations (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2021). This is critical to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive patient information, as disclosing details about circumstances such as “dehydration and delirium” may expose Marcus to potential stigma or discrimination (Gellert, 2016).

To safeguard his privacy, the charge nurse should limit the information shared to the minimum necessary for treatment while also ensuring that thorough documentation of the conversation is recorded, highlighting what was discussed, and clarifying the purpose of the information exchange (Wager et al., 2017). This allows for accountability, traceability, and reinforcement of the culture of confidentiality within the healthcare environment.

Conclusion

Privacy breaches represent serious offenses within healthcare, undermining the trust necessary between patients and healthcare providers. The scenarios discussed highlight critical areas where nurses must exercise caution: social media postings, educational presentations, and inter-facility communications. Upholding ethical principles and adhering to regulations like HIPAA are essential for protecting patient privacy and ensuring a trusting therapeutic relationship. Consequently, healthcare professionals need ongoing education on these matters and emphasis on best practices for privacy protection.

References

• Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics. Oxford University Press.
• Gellert, G. A. (2016). Privacy and confidentiality in the electronic age. Nursing Ethics, 23(2), 157-165.
• Macrae, C. (2018). Understanding patient safety. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Reed, M. J., & Lentz, C. (2019). Ethical dimensions of patient care: A guide for nurses. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• Terry, N. P., et al. (2020). Privacy and security issues in social media use in nursing. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 11(4), 22-28.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2021). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Retrieved from https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html
• Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. (2017). Health care information systems: A practical approach for health care management. Jossey-Bass.