Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy and Confidentiality
As nurses we are required to adhere to the standards and guidelines set forth by the College of Nurses of Ontario. These practices and standards have been implemented in order to support the nurses in providing safe and ethical care to the public. In the assigned case study, Irene is a nurse facing privacy and confidentiality issues. Irene is working in a facility environment where her integrity and professionalism is being constantly challenged. It is important that Irene be an advocate for the patients ' right to privacy within the facility and community.
It would be easy for Irene to partake in the practice of her colleagues, and easily divulge private information to appease the curiosity of the family and friends of the patient. However, this would not be the most ethical route. Irene encounters many ethical challenges and can be viewed as a pioneer in patient privacy advocacy in the case study. Irene has many challenges affecting her practice; return to a small town "friendly and informal care," inquisitive community members, fax machine privacy issues, and colleagues with different views on ethical practice responsibilities.
Irene is concerned with keeping patient privacy and confidentiality. Although, she does work within a small community where most people know one another, it is not okay for her to share patient information. "The relationship is based on trust, respect and intimacy and requires the appropriate use of the power inherent in the care provider 's role" (CNO, 2009). By sharing private patient information the patient-nurse relationship is no longer therapeutic in nature. Patients entrust their health information and concerns with the nurse with the expectation that it will be kept confidential and on a need to know basis within the circle of care. (Keatings & Smith, 2010) The patient entrusts that, this very personal information is used solely for their benefit within their plan of care.
Irene should
As nurses we are required to adhere to the standards and guidelines set forth by the College of Nurses of Ontario. These practices and standards have been implemented in order to support the nurses in providing safe and ethical care to the public. In the assigned case study, Irene is a nurse facing privacy and confidentiality issues. Irene is working in a facility environment where her integrity and professionalism is being constantly challenged. It is important that Irene be an advocate for the patients ' right to privacy within the facility and community.
It would be easy for Irene to partake in the practice of her colleagues, and easily divulge private information to appease the curiosity of the family and friends of the patient. However, this would not be the most ethical route. Irene encounters many ethical challenges and can be viewed as a pioneer in patient privacy advocacy in the case study. Irene has many challenges affecting her practice; return to a small town "friendly and informal care," inquisitive community members, fax machine privacy issues, and colleagues with different views on ethical practice responsibilities.
Irene is concerned with keeping patient privacy and confidentiality. Although, she does work within a small community where most people know one another, it is not okay for her to share patient information. "The relationship is based on trust, respect and intimacy and requires the appropriate use of the power inherent in the care provider 's role" (CNO, 2009). By sharing private patient information the patient-nurse relationship is no longer therapeutic in nature. Patients entrust their health information and concerns with the nurse with the expectation that it will be kept confidential and on a need to know basis within the circle of care. (Keatings & Smith, 2010) The patient entrusts that, this very personal information is used solely for their benefit within their plan of care.
Irene should
References: Canadian Nurses Association, (2008). Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses. Retrieved from http://www.cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-fr/code-of-ethics-for-registered- nurses.pdf?la=en Canadian Nurses of Ontario. (2009). Practice Standard Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41034_Ethics.pdf Canadian Nurses of Ontario. (2009). Practice Standard Confidentiality and Privacy-Personal Health Information. Retrieved from http://www.cno.org/Global/docs/prac/41069_privacy.pdf Keatings, M., & Smith, O. (2010). Ethical & legal issues in Canadian Nursing (3rd ed.). Toronto, ON: Elsevier Canada U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2012, February). The Hippocratic Oath. In Greek Medicine. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/greek_oath.html