Patient Confidentiality: Ethical Implications to Nursing Practice Essay

Patient confidentiality is a fundamental practice in wellness care and it is integral part of healthcare ethical standards (Purtilo & Dougherty, 2010). According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethical motive the declare has a commerce to maintain confidentiality of solely longanimous information (Nursing world, p.6). Also, when a tolerant confidentiality is violated the hold dear whitethorn risk their safety and welfare. in that respect are a few exceptions to this obligation such as an accession need to nurture the patient and other parties or mandatory laws that protect public health (Nursing world, 2012). The plight disclosed in the article Betraying combine or Providing respectable Care? When is it okay to break confidentiality? Constitutes an ethical dilemma for the nurse caring for a teenage patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease as well as related cervical cancer. The nurse sooner or later has to notify the patient parents delinqu ent to further sermon is needed and parental consent is required. The nurse likewise has to notify the patients school since it raises concern for public health issues.There are many compelling concerns presented in this article. First of all, if a patients confidentiality is betrayed the patient may not want to assemble in the future with the healthcare team. The patient may decide he/she doesnt want medical care period, so this could risk the treatment of the patient. Secondly, the nurses must show respect and dignity for the patient by observance the patients privacy. Lastly, the sanctity of the nurse-patient relationship mandates maintaining confidentiality. The patient entrusts the medical nonrecreational with private and confidential information. The medical professional must be suddenly certain of the risks versus benefits when deciding to breach confidentiality (Nathanson, 2000).The decision to break confidentiality should only be made using a systematic burn up that follows an ethical decision making model. The first step in this operation is gathering all relevant information. Once the healthcare provider is certain that all liable(p) information is pronounced they can determine the type of ethical dilemma. In this human face the ethical dilemma was the choice to maintain or breach patient confidentiality. afterwarddetermining the nature of the dilemma it is important to use a theoretical framework to analyze the issue. The nurse using a utilitarianistic scheme would look at all consequences of breaking confidentiality versus maintaining confidentiality. If the nurse utilizes a deontological approach the decision is made based on the nurses duty and responsibility to uphold patient confidentiality. The nurse would then determine what to do in the situation by looking at all the alternatives. After determining a course of action the nurse must take place with the action that is thought to be best. In the quit the nurse should evaluate the outcomes of the decision for future professional development (Purtilo & Dougherty, 2010).A nurse confront with this type of situation may seek advice from the institutions object lessons committee in order to determine the appropriate course of action. An morals committee may be composed of clinical personnel as well as non-clinical personnel. The committee most likely has and ethical advisor available as well to guide the decision making process. The usage of an ethics committee in the clinical setting is to provide alimentation and guidance to caregivers when they are faced with an ethical problem. The committee helps to reduce moral distress and maintain ethical practice (Lachman, 2010, p. 1). In the previously mentioned sideslip involving the teenage patients right to confidentiality the ethics committee may have taken the following approach. First the committee would determine the patients ability to make decisions.They would then review all clinical information and f acts related to the case. All of the alternatives would be examined and then valued correspond to the risks and benefits for the patient. Facility policies related to patient confidentiality as well as heavy implications would be referenced. In this case the committee would investigate the potential for fellowship harm related to the situation. After determining an ethical plan of action, recommendations would be made to the physician and nurse in this case (Lachman, 2010). In the end the decision would be a collaborative effort between the nurse and physician based on the recommendations. Protecting a patients private health information is an ethical practice that helps to maintain the believe relationship between patient and nurse.The professional nurse is obligated to do so not only by the professional code of ethics but also by government mandates related to Health insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). There are instances when thebest interests of the patien t or community safety provide good cause for breaking patient confidentiality. It is important for the nurse to use an ethical decision making process either alone or in collaboration with the healthcare team to determine the appropriate course of action (Purtilo & Dougherty, 2010).ReferencesAmerican Nurses Association cypher of Ethics retrieved from Nursingworld (ANA website) available at http//www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.pdfLachman, V. (2010). Ethics, law, and policy. Clinical ethics committees organizational endorse for ethical practice. MEDSURG Nursing, 19(6), 351-353.Nathanson, Pamela G., Bioethics on NBCs ER Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When Is It Ok to Break Confidentiality? (February 24, 2000) located at http//www.bioethics.net/articles.php?viewCat=7&articleId=133Purtilo, condolence M. & Doherty, Regina (2010). Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions 5 (Vital Source Bookshelf). Retrieved from http//pageburstls.elsevier.com/books/978-1-4377-0896-7/id/B9781437708967000126_f5010