Your help would be much appreciated xxx

[Alexandra s]

I am currently struggling getting my head round the following assignment. Looking for opinions / views / suggestions on how best to tackle the case scenario provided. PLEASE HELP....:imbar

A man in his 30's has been diagnosed with a malignant disease. He's requested that staff don't inform his partner of the diagnosis. His partner arrives and asks you (the student nurse) the results of the patients investigations.

Expore & discuss the professional, ethical and legal issues that arise from the scenario. (1750 word essay)

[prmenrs, RN]

HIPPA forbids discussing the patient and/or his tests with anyone. Basically, that's the end of the discussion.

Why don't you research HIPPA?

[Alexandra s]

Should have said that I'm based in the UK, so don't know what HIPPA is and don't think it in force here.

[michw2]

Just don't say much. You might tell them lets go talk with the patient That way you see how the client whats to handle it that way you are not doing anything wrong. I will give you an example. I was in a room with a patient once and his wife walked in and she is a person who worries very much so his wish was not to tell her yet what was going on. Well we gave him some morphine and he told her it was a Vit B shot so even though it was lying that was the patient wishes and we didn't say anything. I hope this helps

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

You can tell them you aren't allowed to give the information, to ask the patient. Or if the patient is unable to speak at that time tell them that he had requested that he be the one to speak to his partner about all results.

[snugglebum]

even though i am based in the uk i have been in the situation that you are being asked to produce an assignment on, there are a lot of ethical implications in answering the relatives query, i basically passed the buck ( i'm a coward !!!), the patients relative asked me that question ( is my husband going to die), and coward that i am i replied that it was only my second day on the ward and that if she wanted information on her husbands condition that she should speak to the nurse that was dealing with his care. i'm a big fat coward and i am not ashamed to admit it, the best place to look to answer your question is ethical issues in nursing and the law.

[Brotherbob, BSN, RN]

I am currently struggling getting my head round the following assignment. Looking for opinions / views / suggestions on how best to tackle the case scenario provided. PLEASE HELP....:imbar

A man in his 30's has been diagnosed with a malignant disease. He's requested that staff don't inform his partner of the diagnosis. His partner arrives and asks you (the student nurse) the results of the patients investigations.

Expore & discuss the professional, ethical and legal issues that arise from the scenario. (1750 word essay)

Same thing in US or here in Europe, never talk about a patient without permission. There are laws regarding that in UK too. Look them up.

Ethical: Patients are vulnerable, and we have a lot of sensitive information about them. In this case the patient would never trust the nurse that talked about him again.

Sometimes it is professional to keep the mouth shut.

Good luck with the essay!!

[CHATSDALE]

when i was in the hospital last january they asked me whom they could speak with about my condition...also gave a nurmerical code that had to be given b/4 info could be given over the phone...bottom line...pts wishes are paramount...if it is not his wishes to inform others no matter who they are this should be respected

[angel Ann]

I am currently struggling getting my head round the following assignment. Looking for opinions / views / suggestions on how best to tackle the case scenario provided. PLEASE HELP....:imbar

A man in his 30's has been diagnosed with a malignant disease. He's requested that staff don't inform his partner of the diagnosis. His partner arrives and asks you (the student nurse) the results of the patients investigations.

Expore & discuss the professional, ethical and legal issues that arise from the scenario. (1750 word essay)

The policy regarding confidentiality states that "No personal information may be divulged to a third party without the consent/permission of the person concerned".As a student nurse you must be aware of the Trust policy and the consequences of non compliance.so be careful not to breach the confidentiality.Diagnosis and test results are usually discussed with the patient and the next of kin with his consent.You can tell his partner honestly by saying that we are not allowed to disclose or discuss any kind of test results or diagnosis of the patient without his consent and we keep it confidential.If you are not sure and confident to say this, just introduce yourself as a student and direct her to the staff nurse because we are accountable for your action.Have a look at the hospital Trust policy on confidentiality as there are also circumstances within which personal information may be legitimately disclosed.Hope this helps.Goodluck!:)

[talaxandra]

Hi Alexandra - welcome to allnurses :)

I'm in Australia, and we don't have HIPPA either, but we do have laws about what information can be given and out, and to whom. Last week I spoke to the sister of a patient (who had come in with rhabdo and renal failure) - the patient had been in for about two weeks, but she said she'd only just heard about the patient's admission, and asked me what was wrong.

I didn't see the sign at the main desk saying that she was not to be given any information. What I said to the sister was "Please hold the line," then went and asked my patient if he was happy with me putting the call through.

He asked which sister it was, and then said "No. I don't want her to know anything."

I said "Can I tell her that you're stable?" and he agreed.

I went back to the phone and said "I can tell you that he's in a stable condition, but I can't give you any more information without his permission."

She wasn't happy about it, but I was resolute.

It's harder in person, though. If you find that discussing the law, and the issue of confidentiality (and the allied topic of autonomy), don't give you enough to write about, you could add a section on truthfulness.

In the scenario you describe, it could be argued that you have an obligation not just to keep the truth (as you know it) from the partner, but also to allay suspicions s/he may have. Otherwise s/he may grill the patient about it, at a time when he's not up to that kind of conversation.

I am happy to lie for my patients, to a degree. If they don't want to take a phone call I'm happy to say that they're asleep, or off the ward, but that I can take a message. If the visitors have stayed so long the patient looks exhausted, I ask them to step out, and ask the patient if they want me to get rid of the visitors, then tell the visitors that the doctor has requested restricted visting hours.

The fact that professionalism is specified as an area to include also gives you another aspect to cover.teh first thing that strikes me is that - as a student - this is not an area where you are qualified to comment, even with the patient's permission.

Hope this helps - good luck :)

[UM Review RN, ASN, RN]

If the patient doesn't want the partner to know, you don't tell.

The problems would come in if the patient's condition was such that the partner could contract it.

[LVN2006]

In our school we would never discuss a patent's condition even with another student. How could it possibly be ok for you to talk to the pateint's family about his condion or care?

even though i am based in the uk i have been in the situation that you are being asked to produce an assignment on, there are a lot of ethical implications in answering the relatives query, i basically passed the buck ( i'm a coward !!!), the patients relative asked me that question ( is my husband going to die), and coward that i am i replied that it was only my second day on the ward and that if she wanted information on her husbands condition that she should speak to the nurse that was dealing with his care. i'm a big fat coward and i am not ashamed to admit it, the best place to look to answer your question is ethical issues in nursing and the law.