Question

An RN on your unit accesses information on the electronic health record about a family friend (who is not her assigned patient). Has this nurse violated any ethical principles? Explain.

Your unit has an electronic white board behind the nursing station listing private patient information. Occasionally a family member is seen viewing the white board and some of the nurses are concerned about HIPAA violations. Is this a violation? Explain. As a supervisor what actions should you take?

Answer 1

Yes ,this nurse has violated the ethical principle of confidentiality . She has accessed the health information of a patient who is not assigned to her . Even though this patient is her family friend but she has accessed the health information without their permission. Patients health information should be known to his or her treating doctor, assigned nurse , and family members only . No one other this should be knowing about patients health information . It is totally breach of patients health information .

HIPPA establishes national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information . A family member viewing the list of private patients information is violation of the act . The privacy of the private patients information has been vanished as the unkown family member can use the details in any illegal way to cause harm .

As a supervisor immediate action has to be taken by informing about the breach of patient health information to the higher authorities and raising a complaint legally against that person so that he does not use the health information in any way .