Hipaa Responsibilities For The Nurses Role

Throughout the past couple decades there has been an extreme growth in the amount of technology and advancements in medicine. Alongside advancement in the medical field, social media and communication outlets such as Facebook and Twitter have gained popularity in unison. Social media and information outlets have proven through the extreme use by the general population to be a helpful and beneficial outlet for many patients and others alike. Information available online has provided a channel for potential patients to view and receive knowledge without the anxiety of meeting with a physician or medical professional. Information gateways are not always satisfactory though, and in fact have acquired quite the negative connotation throughout the

Embedded within the code are four fundamental responsibilities that include promoting and restoring health, preventing illness, and alleviating suffering. Several of the codes can apply to the use of social media and HIPAA regulations. According to the ANA, the nurses’ primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, or community (Arnold & Boggs, 2016). This includes maintaining patient privacy of any medical information. They are conjointly responsible for being the patient’s advocate, protecting health, safety, and patient rights. The nurse is also to represent the profession of nursing and its fellow health care members by maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice (Arnold & Boggs, 2016). The nurse can simply post a picture with the patient wishing them a quick recovery easily leading to a violation of HIPAA guidelines. When patient confidentiality is not protected by medical personnel, ethical codes as well are not being upheld. If the nurse does not maintain professional standards they place themselves in an unacceptable position, one that could allow for their license to be revoked, charged with a hefty fine, or possible jail

Not only did the violations affect the person that breached the regulation, but in the student’s case it also kept the school from ever being able to practice in that hospital again. Even though social media and other information outlets have acquired a bad reputation throughout the medical world, there are many ways that they can be helpful and provide great learning and educational opportunities for patients and community included. The information outlets just have to be used with the utmost care, and as medical professionals it is their responsibility to provide and protect for any and all