sthics Case Matt S. is the nurse manager of the Coronary Care Unit. He is logged

Question

sthics Case Matt S. is the nurse manager of the Coronary Care Unit. He is logged on to his computer workstation to review and update patient records when one of his patients experiences a cardiac arrhythmia. At the sound of the alarm, Matt leaves his workstation and proceeds to the patient's room to initiate treatment. Joe is in the hallway cleaning and replacing ceiling lights. When Joe sees the vacant workstation, he sits down at the terminal and searches for information about his neighbor who is a patient in another unit Joe's neighbor has been quite mysterious about his medical condition, and Joe is very curious about what is really wrong with his neighbor. Joe leams the truth about his neighbor's health condition, and shares this information with another neighbor Jill P. is a School Nurse in a suburban school district. Because of a crisis during her regular work hours, she is unprepared for a scoliosis screening and education program the following day. She decides to go into her office after hours to catch up. Her daughter Susan is working on a homework assignment and asks Jill if she can use the computer in the office because it has more sophisticated programs and a better printer than their home computer. Jill agrees to let her daughter use the computer. While Jill is setting up for the screening, Susan accesses the student database and learns that four of her classmates were recently treated for Revised August 2018/ NUR 303 sexually transmitted diseases. Susan shares this information in the lunchroom the following day. The news spreads rapidly through the school and one of the affected students learns that her "problem" is now common knowledge. She informs her pareats who go to the school superintendent demanding to know how this could have happened. Consider the following: 1. How are the two cases alike? How are they different? 2. What ethical principles apply to each case? Be sure to discuss how the principle is defined and why you think it applies to the

Explanation / Answer

1. Alike- Data breach occurred due to unlocked computer which lead to easy access by others. Breach of protected health information happened in both cases.

Different:First case happened in a healthcare facility and the employee left the computer screen unlocked in an emergency situation which was intentionally searched and seen by Joe. Second case happened in family where school nurse allowed her daughter to use her computer which had confidential information .Eventhough Susan didnot had intentions, she saw the personal protective information of patients.

2. Matt.S (nurse manager) His action of leaving computer screen unlocked or unsecured was a nursing code of ethics violation.It is his duty to keep the personal information of patient secured. Due to his failure to lock his computer , confidentiality is breached .Joe(the hospital worker) intentionally peeped into records of his neighbour which is a hospital privacy policy violation.

Jill (school nurse)gave her computer unlocked to her daughter which had the personal health information of students. Accessing patient information in home computers result in HIPAA violation.Susan spread the personal information of patients which lead to breach of confidentiality,privacy and security .Jill is accountable for her action.

3.Matt.S

He is accountable for the security of information from his computer.Leaving it unattended lead to breach of secured data.His deeds didnot lead to greater good (beneficence),non maleficence for patients.He should be dedicated to patient do justice for his profession but this was violated.

Jill

Jill led her daughter to access her computer which had secured information .Confidentiality , beneficence, justice is breached. She also didnot supervised when her daughter was using the computer containing secure data.

4&5.Employing instituition is also accountable for breach of confidentiality as the management is in the position to train their employees and frame policies & procedures about the privacy matters , review HIPPA and close monitoring & educating their employees to follow the privacy rules.

Matt, Joe, Jill are accountable for their deeds individually. Matt can be warned and educated about the privacy rule. Joe did it intentionally so severe action should be taken against him , even he can be fired out of his job. Jill didnot supervise while her daughter was using the computer with secure data and also she knowingly gave her computer to her daughter which contained personal health information.So disciplinary action should be taken on her.

6. There are HIPPA violations in both cases.

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