Nursing Ethics
Confidentiality and HIPAA
Confidentiality is the protection of private health information, legally mandated by HIPAA to ensure patient trust and safety.
Privacy Safeguards
- Never discuss patients in public areas like elevators or cafes.
- Log off computer terminals immediately after use.
- Dispose of patient documents in secure shredding bins.
- Only access records for patients directly under your care.
Legal Exceptions
- Reporting communicable diseases to public health authorities.
- Duty to warn when a patient threatens self or others.
- Mandatory reporting of child or elder abuse.
- Judicial subpoenas requiring specific medical record release.
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