Write an ethical issue that impacts nursing practice or the nursing profession.
BACKGROUND: Patient privacy and confidentiality are significant ethical issues faced by nurses. If not done correctly, this can have legal ramifications and result in severe consequences for healthcare professionals. With patients’ medical information protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPA), there are definite boundaries and guidelines for protecting patients’ privacy. Although nurses must protect their patient’s rights and act in their best interest, they are still obligated to respect patient autonomy. Patient autonomy, the right of patients to independently make decisions about their care based on personal or cultural belief systems, is a prime principle of nursing and should be respected by all healthcare professionals. With patient autonomy, patients have the right to refuse medications, treatments, or procedures. Although this may conflict with suggestions made by nurses and doctors, nurses will still have to respect this decision and operate accordingly.
