Confidentiality Debate

Nursing Students General Students

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Hello all! I am looking for a little help! We are having a debate in my legal and ethical nursing class. My part is that I am on the PRO side for patient confidentiality. Focusing on how it impacts my nursing career. Does anyone have any ideas on websites I can get good information? Or any personal opinions?

Thanks!

Jami

Specializes in LDRP.

Whats teh debate? How can you be against confidentiality?

I am not against. I am for. The people who are against are basically discussing patients with diseases who feel they shouldn't have to tell people about it. But i am having a hard time finding articles and stuff on how it affects nursing practice.

Specializes in LDRP.

SO the debate is whether or not a patient should have to disclose they have certain diseases/conditions? Like what diseases? HIV, syphillis, gonorrhea-those are mandated to be reported to the health department.

Ijust dont think I understand.

Basically what I need is information on how patient confidentiality affects my nursing practice. How it is good and how it affects nursing.

Basically what I need is information on how patient confidentiality affects my nursing practice. How it is good and how it affects nursing.

This is an interesting topic that in many way's is a no brainer. I did a paper on mandatorytesting for HIV with hospital admission (which I am for in an effort to slow down the epidemic, but at least in New York state, is a definite no no). Here in NY, patients must be counseled and sign a consent to be tested for HIV, even if the patient was the source of contamination of a needle stick for staff. If testing for HIV took place as if it were a CBC, more people would be diagnosed. If more people were diagnosed, more people would need medications to keep the virus at bay which would cost insurance companies/medicaid/medicare more money. Also, When AIDS and HIV started becoming more prevelent in the US, came panic. Along with this panic, staff became afraid to care for these patients and many quit because of their fear. In an effort to protect staff, our practice changed. By considering everyone as potentially having HIV, came the gloves, the needle-less IV tubing equipment etc... the thing is, for us older nurses, our practice has changed dramatically since the 80s. Believe it or not, we didn't always use gloves while bathing patients, emptying bedpans, wiping feces, cleaning dentures etc... We didn't use blunt tip needles for drawing from a vial, we didn't have needle-less IV tubing, we didn't have protective needles, or stylettes that retract to prevent needle sticks. With all this new equipment to protect nurses, came increased expenses for hospitals. Combine this with the lack of reimbursement from health insurance companies, has led to downsizing of staff and even closing of hospitals. As far as the panic goes, it has lessened tremendously since the 80's and early 90's. But still, if you look around at staff behaviors, it still does create some whispers and fear does still exist. People are still reluctant to start IVs on some patients. So, I think the bottom line for how confidentiality effects nursing practice is money, prejudice and fear. Forgive the rambling --- hope this helps

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