Confidentiality in Relation to Nursing Practice - Essay Example

One of the major ethical aspects that nurses should adopt is confidentiality. In relations to nursing practice, confidentiality depicts that any information about the health situation of the patient should be shared with other nurses and third parties only after the approval of the person under care. However, if the nurses perceive that the information is vital in preserving life and needs to be released to third parties, they are still allowed to release it without necessarily seeking the permission of the patients.

This paper seeks to discuss the aspect of confidentiality in relation to nursing practice. Confidentiality in relation to nursing practice As indicated in the introduction part, the consent of a patient is vital as far as releasing of information that relates to his or her health is concerned. This means that nurses should take adequate precaution to ensure that information related to their patients is safeguarded. One of the key issues that nurses should not ignore is respect of the right of each individual to the privacy of the information.

This means that a person should be allowed to have a significant control over the use of the information. In the same way, patients should be allowed to disclose and access all the information that relates to their health. . In this regard, nurses should adhere to such laws so at to propagate professional relationship that is vital in the provision of effective health care. Another fundamental aspect that is covered by the confidentiality is that if other individuals who are involved in the provision of health care do not maintain confidentiality during their duties, nurses especially those who directly deal with the patients should intervene (Armstrong, 2007).

It is important to note that lack of team work among the providers of health care is a major factor that is detrimental to maintenance of confidentiality in the nursing profession. Thus, it is imperative for hospital nurses to train their colleagues on the importance of safeguarding the information that relates to individuals under care. Legislation relating to confidentiality in the nursing practice The section below discusses some of the major legislations that guides hospital nurses during the duties.

Data Protection Act of 1998 Data Protection Act of 1998 regulates the processing of the information that relates to patients who are alive. The Act, that covers all types of media including the electronics forms and paper records, governs processing, recording, obtaining, and disclosing of the information by the nurses (Tuckett, 2004). Embryology and Human Fertilization Act of 1990 This legislation seeks to control the provision of reproductive services using the modern technology. For example, nurses are banned from disclosing the information relating to gamete donors to the third parties (McHale & Gallagher, 2003).

According to International Council of Nurses (2000), nurses should not disclose the identity of the individuals who are using the technology reproductive services.