Instruction
DISCUSSION: Describe one situation you have encountered where your actions were guided by the Nursing Code of Ethics. If you have never encountered such a situation, imagine a possible situation you could face in the future. Link this experience to one of the elements in the code of ethics found at http://www.nursingworld.org/codeofethics.
EXAMPLE RESPONSE:
As a working Medical Assistant and practicing nursing student I guide myself by the Nursing Code of Ethics. I encountered a situation recently within my workplace where I overheard a fellow Medical Assistant discussing medical and personal information with a patient regarding another patient whom she was caring for. It was a clear violation of HIPAA and a violation of Provision 3 of the Nursing Code of Ethics. As stated in the Code of Ethics, we as nurses must protect the rights of privacy and confidentiality (American Nurses Association, 2015). Her actions violated the trust and the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Upon seeing my co-worker’s actions, I immediately did what I could to stop the continuation of the conversation in which she was divulging patient information without consent and then spoke with her about the situation at a later time. I agree that as nurses we have the duty to do what we can to protect patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality. We must look within ourselves as well as be aware of our surroundings to watch for any behaviors that could violate this provision.
Reference:
American Nurses Association. (2015, January). Code of ethics for nurses. Retrieved November
1, 2015 from http://www.nursingworld.org/DocumentVault/Ethics_1/Code-of-Ethics-for-Nurses.htm