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Ethical Framework

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As professional Registered Nurses (RN’s) maintaining patient confidentiality is very important. Confidentiality is defined as “the right of an individual patient to have personal, identifiable medical information kept private.” (http://www.ceus-nursing.com/courses/material_detail). This information should only be shared with the physician, nurse and other members of the health care team. The imperative of confidentiality can be traced back to the Hippocratic Oath not to reveal secrets, and to the Nightingale Pledge. “I will do all in my power to elevate the standard of my profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my profession”. (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p. 69).
The implications of a breach in confidentiality can have a significant impact on the nurse and the patient and create ethical dilemmas. Disclosure of information can cause problems on a personal, legal and professional level. The ethical need for confidentiality in nursing is vital, due to the need to establish mutual trust between the nurse and the patient. When this relationship is established the patient would be more comfortable in discussing personal matters such as their sex life and other things considered taboo if they know that their information would remain confidential.
Several ethical implications occur as a result in the breach of confidentiality, for example the loss of patient trust and respect, responsibility and noncompliance from the patient when the patient feels betrayed and issues with accountability as the nurse is accountable to the patient, self, profession, institution and community. However, situations do arise where the nurse will encounter ethical dilemmas and is forced to breach the patient’s confidentiality.
In the article by Pamela G. Nathanson “Betraying Trust or

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