NR 512 – Wk 7 Ethical Use of Information

In your work setting, how might you teach and enforce ethical use of information?

Consider an example of unethical use of patient information. Knowing what you do now, how
would you handle such a situation if you encountered it today?
Response:

In this week’s reading I found that the American Nurses Association (2001) provided the
best interpretation of the code of ethics that should be applied to nursing practice: respect for
human dignity, respect for individual right to self-determinism, primary commitment to the
patient, advocacy for the patient, participation in the creation, maintenance, and improvements of
healthcare environments, advancing the profession, collaboration with others to meet health
needs, and shaping social policy.
On occasion, I have cared for patients that request to be deemed “confidential.” When this
occurs the patient and/or power of attorney appoint that patient a confidential name to go by and
they change the patient’s code that is used when family members call in to get medical
information. However, the patients name and medical record number remain the same in our
computerized charting system. The ethical issue that my facility has had recently was that nurses
would look patient’s names up in the computer system and direct visitors to that patient even
though their information was deemed “confidential.” When a visitor enters the hospital building
they are required to check in and this is where security has a list of all the confidential names. If
a visitor comes up to our nurses station asking us to help them locate a patient we no longer look
up the information in the computer system and will redirect them to the security desk.

Reference:

American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Cod
e-of-Ethics.pdf