...Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Richard Doria Grand Canyon University NRS -437 V Nov 16, 2014 Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Patient confidentiality can be often breached without the intention of doing it. This happens when staff discusses patient information in crowds or small groups, patient notes on the computer being left open and unattended, and documents that are not being filed properly and stay visible to the next patient. Confidentiality is not necessarily absolute even though it is a patient’s right. Certain situations exist where medical staff is obligated to breach confidentiality, especially when they feel that it is in the patient’s interest to do so. The following are implications of breaching confidentiality: “1) breaching confidentiality fails to respect patient autonomy, 2) violation of patient confidentiality is a form of betrayal, and 3) patients have a right to confidentiality that has frequently been demonstrated in common law and in some specific areas outlined in statute law” (ministryofethics.co.uk, 2010). Confidentiality is a principle in nursing that makes nurses preserve the privacy of their patients and grant them their autonomy. Respect for the patients is being shown while maintaining confidentiality. This task makes nurses, physicians, and other medical staff accountable. Breaching confidentiality has a major tendency to cause harm or the patient refusing further medical care. “Undue harm can be described as embarrassment...
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...Running head: ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS Ethical Frameworks Anna Marie Santana Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Helath Care NRS-437V Marianne Murray May 19, 2011 Ethical Frameworks Introduction Ethical decisions in healthcare are difficult. This is why it is essential for nurses to understand how to approach these problems and when to ask for help. Privacy and confidentiality are ethical issues where there may be confusion regarding the best course of action to take. Nurses need to know the laws and patient obligations regarding these issues. In Health care we have a law called HIPAA, (HIPAA.ORG, 2008) that ensures patient privacy. It is crucial for nurses to understand the regulations relevant to confidentiality in order to practice within the guidelines of the law. In the article "Bioethics on NBC's ER: Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it ok to Break Confidentiality?" (Nathanson, 2000), the author addresses an ethical issue that incites ethical conflict for a nurse. In order to coerce two young girls reluctant to seek medical help, Nurse Hathaway made a promise that no matter what she learns about them during the exam she will not divulge this information to the parents or anyone else. Finding out that her patient 14 year old patient not only had HPV, but also cervical cancer from participating in sex parties with multiple partners, Nurse Hathaway is faced with an ethical decision. Nurse Hathaway must decide to honor her patient’s confidentiality...
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...In today’s ever-accelerating world, we constantly find ourselves communicating with one another and sharing information in a manner that is almost instantaneous. Due precisely to the developed modes of communication we now have, we are given the ability to share media in a fashion that places an emphasis on the ethical issues concerning the copying and distribution of digital media. In the following paper, an in depth analysis regarding the ethical frameworks that play a part in the copying and distribution of digital media will be brought to light. Furthermore, to better exemplify this, three primary cases will be used to compare and contrast the ethical frameworks of the main topic. These cases derive from primary sources chosen specifically...
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...Ethical Implications: Breach of Confidentiality Grand Canyon University: NRS-437V Ethical Implications The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) , was made to protect the rights of patients with regard to who could have access to their health information (HHS, 2011). HIPAA is not taken lightly and at the organization this author works, a Confidentiality Agreement is signed yearly to assure that the guidelines are followed. Under certain circumstances, however, an individual’s health information may be disclosed, such as before procedures and doctor’s appointments and these are generally for limited information release and for consent to treat. There are two that caregivers not only can come across, but are mandated to report: concern for public welfare and concern for the safety of other person(s) (University of Washington, 2008). To understand what is expected of them with regards to confidentiality and protection of patient rights, it is the responsibility of the nurse to understand what breach of confidentiality means and to know what information may and may not be shared. Breach of Confidentiality Breach of confidentiality can happen in a variety of ways, even in a manner a healthcare provider had not intended or was unaware it constituted a violation as serious as such. Some ways in which it can happen are: giving too much information to a person over the telephone claiming to be family, talking about a patient in the cafeteria...
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...profession and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my profession”. (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008, p. 69). The implications of a breach in confidentiality can have a significant impact on the nurse and the patient and create ethical dilemmas. Disclosure of information can cause problems on a personal, legal and professional level. The ethical need for confidentiality in nursing is vital, due to the need to establish mutual trust between the nurse and the patient. When this relationship is established the patient would be more comfortable in discussing personal matters such as their sex life and other things considered taboo if they know that their information would remain confidential. Several ethical implications occur as a result in the breach of confidentiality, for example the loss of patient trust and respect, responsibility and noncompliance from the patient when the patient feels betrayed and issues with accountability as the nurse is accountable to the patient, self, profession, institution and community. However, situations do arise where the nurse will encounter ethical dilemmas and is forced to breach the patient’s confidentiality. In the article by Pamela G. Nathanson “Betraying Trust or...
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...Running head: ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS IN PRACTICE Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Grand Canyon University May 9, 2012 Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Patient confidentiality is part of the Nursing Code of Ethics and it is a nurses’ duty to uphold confidentiality of patient information (American Nurses Association, 2012). However, there are certain situations in which a confidentiality breach is acceptable, such as when a patient voices harm to themselves or others and certain sexually transmitted diseases STDs). The following is a breakdown of the ethical implications of a breach of confidentiality, the ethical theory, the alternatives to breaching confidentiality using the framework of ethical decision making and the role of the ethics committees. Ethical Implications of a Breach of Confidentiality A confidentiality breach is when patient information is disclosed to a party that is not a direct part of the patients’ healthcare team without obtaining the appropriate patient consent (American Medical Association, 2012). It is important for the nurse to maintain confidentiality to gain the patients trust, except in situations that are required by law to be reported. When confidentiality is breached many ethical implications arise. Some of these implications are losing a patients’ trust and disclosing information to parties that is not required by law, which could cause harm to the patient. In the article “Bioethics on NBC’s ER:...
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...Running head: ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS IN PRACTICE Ethical Frameworks in Practice Debra Benton Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Health Care NRS-437V October 14, 2012 Ethical Frameworks in Practice Patients should feel at ease when giving personal information to their physician or nurse (Burkle & Cascino, 2011). Patients may resist offering pertinent information if they feel their confidence may be betrayed. Confidentiality can only be broken when it involves a gunshot wound, injuries resulting from child abuse or an infectious disease, which would put the community at risk. Such is the case presented in Nathanson’s article titled: “Betraying trust or providing good care? When is it okay to break confidentiality?” (2000). The article addresses an ethical dilemma presented in an episode of NBC’s ER. Nurse Carol Hathaway promises two reluctant teenage patients who are seeking care, that anything they tell her will remain confidential, even from their parents and anyone else. Agreeable to this, the girls divulge they have been sexually active with multiple partners and suspect they have been exposed to a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Tests were performed on the teenager for STD’s and receive Pap tests to detect any cervical abnormalities. The test results confirm, Andrea, is positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. Promising Andrea confidentiality, Nurse Hathaway knows she must break the promise or potentially endanger herself...
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...Running head: APPLYING ETHICAL FRAMEWORK IN PRACTICE Applying Ethical Framework in Practice Jaclyn Hughes Grand Canyon University: NRS-437V August 21, 2011 Applying Ethical Framework in Practice Patient confidentiality is one thing that cannot be breached nor as a patient that you would want to be breached. In this day and age as healthcare professionals it is a very fine line of what breaching confidentiality is. We all want to know that when we are sick and in the hospital, the one thing that we can keep personal is our privacy which would include our health information. It is hard to imagine that in a state of vulnerability that some things must be disclosed to certain departments regardless of your desire to keep it private and confidential; some examples include: domestic violence, child abuse, rape, psychiatric evaluations, and communicable diseases. These situations if not taken care of could cause more harm to the patient. Knowing your ethical principles and nursing code of ethics allows for the nurse to make a moral and ethical decision based on the five basic principles without breaching confidentiality and doing what is morally and ethically right for the patient. A patient’s trust is sacred and breaching that information is a violation of the trust between the relationship of the nurse and the patient (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008). An ethical implication of a breach of confidentiality would include: patient confidentiality and informed consent for...
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...Applying Ethical Frameworks In Practice Ellen Kincaid Grand Canyon University NRS-437V-0504 September 5, 2015 Applying Ethical Frameworks In Practice When it comes to ethical dilemmas we can all feel challenged with complex decisions that are difficult to make. Ethical dilemmas refer to problems that arise which usually involve more than one moral correct mode of actions involving the individual responsible and the individual correcting the situation. The individual resolving the situation is often challenged by the fact that in either option he takes, he or she may be right about taking one option but wrong about leaving the other. Ethical dilemmas test our ability to use our morals and values as well as ethical principals that we have learned through out life, and put them into actions by weighing these beliefs and being able to determine the difference between right and wrong. For that reason is imperative that nursing professionals are well aware of their own beliefs, moral and values, so they can make correct ethical decisions especially when it comes to health care delivery. Ethical Dilemma I this case we have a 6 y/o child, which gets very sick while at school. The child presents with elevated temperature, vomiting and convulsing. The child is immediately taken to the closest hospital and is quickly diagnosed with meningitis. The attending physician is now requesting authorization to treat the child from the parents. The child’s parents are divorced and now...
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...Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Vanessa Dolce Grand Canyon University April 30, 2012 Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice In nursing certain situations will call you to question what is right and what is wrong. One of the biggest dilemmas nurses face is what things we should tell or not to tell. Is it better to stay quiet or vocalize the problems at hand? Sometimes telling means we break the trust of our patients but help them in return. While other times, not saying anything is the best option for them at that time. In a world that is composed of black and white, it is so hard to see the grey. When is it admirable to breach confidentiality between a patient and a health care provider? Is it when a patient exposes a life threatening life style? Or is it when they tell you they are afraid of their living situation? Legal exceptions to the standard of practice that confidences must be kept, except with the patient's consent or at the patient's request to break it, include the following; An emergency in which keeping the confidence will harm the patient. The patient is incompetent or incapacitated, and a third party needs to be informed to be a surrogate decision maker for the patient. Third parties are at serious risk for harm (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases, child or other abuse). Request for commitment or hospitalization of a psychiatrically ill patient. A serious risk that many others may be harmed (a terrorist threat) (Purtilo & Doherty...
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...Ethical Frameworks in Practice Grand Canyon University NRS 437v Date: July 12, 2014 According to American Nursing Association code of ethics, provision 3,”confidentiality is associated with the right to privacy; the nurse has a duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information. The patient's well being could be jeopardized and the fundamental trust between patient and nurse destroyed by unnecessary access to data or by the inappropriate disclosure of identifiable patient information. The rights, well being, and safety of the individual patient should be the primary factors in arriving at any professional judgment concerning the disposition of confidential information received from or about the patient, whether oral, written or electronic. The standard of nursing practice and the nurse's responsibility to provide quality care require that relevant data be shared with those members of the health care team who have a need to know. Only information pertinent to a patient's treatment and welfare is disclosed, and only to those directly involved with the patient's care. Duties of confidentiality, however, are not absolute and may need to be modified in order to protect the patient, other innocent parties, and in circumstances of mandatory disclosure for public health reasons” (www.nursingworld.org). This paper will discuss an ethical dilemma which a nurse encountered and tested her ethical principles regarding break of confidentiality. If the patients' private...
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...Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice A nurse’s job is not just limited to administering medications and educating patients. Nurses also have a role in duties regarding legal and ethical issues, which include maintaining a patient’s confidentiality and privacy. When a nurse accepts the job, he or she also takes the Nightingale Pledge that was established in 1893 (McGowan, 2012). This pledge states that a nurse would do “all in [his or her] power to maintain and elevate the standard of [his or her] profession, and hold in confidence all personal matters committed to [his or her] keeping and all family affairs coming to [his or her] knowledge in the practice of [his or her] calling” (McGowan, 2012). A patient’s confidentiality is protected today through policies, regulations, and laws made by the hospital, state, and federal system. There is one question that is always open for debate: should a nurse ever breach confidentiality? In “Bioethics on NBC’s ER: Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it Ok to Break Confidentiality?” written by Pamela G. Nathanson, Carol Hathaway, a character that portrays a nurse in a television show, comes face to face with dilemma that could lead to a breach of confidentiality. After gaining the trust of two teenage girls, Hathaway worries about what would happen if she protects the confidentiality of the girls after learning about one of their diagnoses. Andrea, one of the teenagers who attended a sex party, was diagnosed with not only...
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...Following are discussion points following the ethical framework provided in the chapter. Students are not likely to identify all of the points or may come up with others, but these are the primary ones. a. Identify the ethical issue(s). There are two ethical issues: 1. Whether to issue an unqualified opinion based on the evidence already obtained, disclaim an opinion, or follow up on the information provided by the chairperson of the board, knowing that the client may not pay for the additional audit time spent. 2. What to tell the second client. Providing confidential information will violate the Code of professional conduct but if it is not provided, the second client may purchase Hi-Sail, which could be a bad investment, and the auditor might lose the second client. The parties are affected and their rights are 1. Management, including the president and controller, have the right to have the audit completed on a timely and cost-effective basis and to a proper consideration of their claims. 2. The board of directors, including the chairperson, have the right to insist that the financial statements be fairly presented by management and on a timely and effective audit. The chairperson has a right to be heard and to have the auditor obtain evidence to support or contradict his claims. 3. Current and prospective creditors and investors, including the second client and any other prospective purchaser of Hi-Sail, have the right to receive fairly presented...
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...FOUNDATION DEGREE IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE MANAGEMENTETHICS, LEADERSHIP AND INTERPROFESSIONAL WORKING IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CAREHS4501-40Describe The Importance Of Quality Leadership And The Difference Between Leadership And Management Within A Health And Social Care Environment, And Explain The Ethical Value Framework Leaders Of Services Should Adhere To STUDENT ID: 213599 06/05/2011 WORD COUNT 3,606 | | Describe The Importance Of Quality Leadership And The Difference Between Leadership And Management Within A Health And Social Care Environment, And Explain The Ethical Value Framework Leaders Of Services Should Adhere To | | This essay will discuss the importance of quality leadership, the diversities between leadership and management within health and social care and explain the ethical frame work leaders of services should adhere to. Every organization strives to be successful regardless of the type of business it conducts; no organization can be fully successful and productive without good quality leadership. Haris and Ogbonna (2000) discovered that although leadership may not completely affect the organisations achievement, the quality of leadership does affect the workers of the organisation who in turn have a substantial affect on the organiation. (cited in Haracre, et al 2011) If workers are contented and without stress in their work they will be more likely to be enthuiastic...
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...conducted semi-structured teacher interviews to address each of the project’s research questions. Gaining another perspective on student achievement and ability level from the teachers will be particularly important for the researcher to balance any bias present in student responses. Video recording. Video recordings also will serve as an objective documentation of learning process, providing valuable illustrations of the future findings of the study. Additionally, video data from lessons will enable the researcher to identify specific moments in time that coincide with journal reflections or interview data, which could in turn provide a greater understanding of the learning context and the participant’s perceptions of that situation. Ethical principles will be based on the respect of the researcher for all potential participants and thus require the researcher to obtain informed consent, protect participants with impaired decision-making capacity and maintain confidentiality (Hulley et al, 2001). All data and recordings are treated with confidentiality by the given standards, and recordings will be deleted by the end of project. In connection to publication all personal information will be made anonymous. participants in the research project will be contacted personally and via emails Data analysis/results Following qualitative approaches I will present my findings and analyze them using words rather than numbers (Merriam 1998). Qualitative investigation in research studies...
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