A practical nurse (PN) is reviewing various clinical situations involving the handling of client health information. Match each scenario with the correct confidentiality determination or required nursing action.
- A nursing student takes a photo of a client's wound, excluding the face, for a class presentation.Constitutes a privacy violation; capturing clinical images requires explicit facility and client authorization.
- An assistive personnel (AP) asks to enter morning vital signs using the practical nurse's active computer session.Violates security protocols; all personnel must log in with unique credentials to maintain an accurate audit trail.
- A caller identifying as the client's spouse requests the results of a recent diagnostic test over the phone.Requires verification; information cannot be released until the caller provides the designated privacy code.
- An official from the local public health department requests information about a client with active tuberculosis.Represents a permissible disclosure; reporting communicable diseases to this agency does not require client consent.
Answer
Student photo matches with privacy violation; AP using login matches with security protocols violation; Spouse on phone matches with requiring verification; Public health request matches with permissible disclosure.
Each scenario requires a specific application of information security principles: clinical photography strictly requires explicit consent, electronic health records mandate unique user authentication, telephone disclosures necessitate verification via privacy codes, and public health reporting acts as a mandated legal exception to standard HIPAA authorization rules.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security Principles in Nursing Practice