Nurse Beatrice violated several ethical principles, identified in brackets below.
- Accidentally discloses health information regarding a different patient to Maria Gonzalez. (Maintaining privacy and confidentiality)
- Does not know how to correctly utilize her tablet; voices self-incompetency with tablet. (Being accountable)
- Condescending tone “Your chart says you did have urinary incontinence” & “Well, you must have taken pills when you treated your Chlamydia infection two years ago". (Preserving dignity; Promoting justice; Providing safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care )
- Utilizes and discloses information not pertaining to the reason of the current visit. (Maintaining privacy and confidentiality; Promoting and respecting informed decision-making; Preserving dignity)
- Maria then states that she assumes certain aspects of her past medical record would remain private. (Maintaining privacy and confidentiality)
- Discloses information regarding Maria’s BP only to be informed that the information is incorrect. Nurse Beatrice brushes off the incidence – states “Innocent typing errors do happen. All it takes is one slip of the finger”. (Maintaining privacy and confidentiality; Being accountable; Promoting and respecting informed decision-making; Providing safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care)
- Maria repeatedly asks a question regarding her daughter’s lab results. It takes several attempts for Nurse Beatrice to address the question, and when she does, she provides no real answer. (Promoting health and well-being; Preserving dignity; Being accountable)
- Assumes all individuals have the same access to computers and hence, assumes Maria may access her daughter’s results. Comes across as not able to empathize with her client, as Maria had already informed her at the beginning of the visit that she does not have a computer. (Promoting justice; Providing safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care; Promoting and respecting informed decision-making)
- Quotes policies for privacy of information regarding Maria’s daughters’ lab results. Bureaucratic response “Doctor’s office may call our office for the results...Don’t worry...Any other questions?” (Promoting health and well-being; Promoting justice; Preserving dignity; Providing safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care)
