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Patient Confidentiality

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Submitted By nurseaz
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Running head: PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY

Patient Confidentiality: Ethical Implications to Nursing Practice

Grand Canyon University: NRS 437
April 3, 2012

Patient Confidentiality: Ethical Implications to Nursing Practice Patient confidentiality is a fundamental practice in healthcare and it is integral part of healthcare ethical standards (Purtilo & Dougherty, 2010). According to the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics “the nurse has a duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information”(Nursingworld, p.6). When confidentiality is breached the nurse may jeopardize the wellbeing and safety of a patient. There are some exceptions to this duty such as a greater need to protect the patient and other parties or mandatory laws that protect public health (Nursingworld, 2012). The situation presented in the article Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it okay to break confidentiality? Creates an ethical dilemma for the fictional nurse caring for a teenage patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease as well as related cervical cancer. The nurse eventually notifies parents because of the need for further treatment that will require consent of parents. She also notifies the teenage patient’s school because of a concern for public health. Several valid concerns are presented in this article. First, when a patient’s confidentiality is betrayed that patient may not give full information to the healthcare team in the future. The patient might decide not to seek medical care at all and this may jeopardize treatment of the patient. Next, the healthcare provider shows respect for the patient by honoring the patient’s privacy. Finally, the sanctity of the patient- provider relationship mandates maintaining confidentiality. The patient entrusts the medical professional with private and confidential information. The

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