A practical nurse (PN) is assisting the charge nurse with a unit-wide compliance audit regarding the protection of health information. During the shift, the PN observes several staff activities. Which of the following observed actions indicate a potential confidentiality breach and require immediate intervention? Select all that apply.
- An assistive personnel (AP) minimizing the electronic health record (EHR) window before walking away from a mobile workstation.Answer
- A staff nurse sharing a client's upcoming discharge needs with a visiting relative who is designated solely as the emergency contact.Answer
- A wound care specialist using a personal, unauthorized smartphone to capture an image of a client's pressure injury.Answer
- DA unit secretary declining to provide a client's room number to a caller who does not possess the correct privacy passcode.
- EA provider turning a computer monitor away from a high-traffic hallway before opening a client's diagnostic imaging report.
- FA nursing student depositing handwritten report notes into a locked, secure shredding bin prior to leaving the facility.
Answer
The actions requiring intervention are minimizing the EHR window before leaving a workstation unattended, sharing discharge information with a relative who is only an emergency contact, and using a personal smartphone for clinical photography.
The actions requiring intervention represent severe security vulnerabilities. Minimizing a screen instead of logging out allows anyone to access the open session. Relying on an emergency contact designation for routine updates without client consent violates privacy rules. Utilizing a personal device for clinical photography creates unencrypted, uncontrolled copies of protected health information outside the facility's secure network.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying and correcting breaches in confidentiality, including physical, electronic, and verbal disclosures of protected health information (PHI).