Patient Confidentiality and communication Devices
According to Chamberlain College of Nursing (2024) the healthcare worker needs to always keep privacy, confidentiality, and data security in mind. We always need to use integrity and be truthful when taking care of patients. We need to make sure data is secure and confidential. Patients have the right to privacy. Information should only be accessed by those who are caring for the patient or need to know the information. There are many policies in place to protect the patient. The nurse colleague that is using his personal cell phone is a breach in patient confidentiality because the nurse is using their personal cell phone to take and send images of the patient. The nurse would have those photos on their personal cell phone and could potentially show others intentionally or by accident. A picture taken of the patient is private and the picture will never go away and violates HIPPA requirements. It is always important to think about every aspect of a situation so we can keep our patient’s information safe. “Nurses can positively use electronic media to share workplace experiences, particularly those events that are challenging or emotionally charged, but it is imperative not to mention patients by name or provide any information or details that could possibly identify them in order to protect patients’ right to privacy” (NCSBN, 2018). No one should use their personal cell phone to take pictures of wounds. A company device needs to be used to keep the data secure, confidential and private. Legal matters can occur if a healthcare worker is using their personal cell phone to send patient data.
Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2024). NR361, Week 7: Communication Systems, Security, and Confidentiality. IL: DeVry Education Group.
NCSBN. (2018). A Nurse’s Guide to the Use of Social Media. In NCSBN. https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/NCSBN_SocialMed…
