Ethical and Legal Considerations in Documenting and Reporting
Ethical and Legal Considerations in Documenting and Reporting ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is caring for a client who has a diagnosis of AIDS.
The nurse needs to document and report sensitive information about the client’s condition.
What should the nurse say to the client before doing so?
The nurse has a legal and ethical obligation to protect the client’s confidentiality and privacy, especially when dealing with sensitive information such as HIV/AIDS diagnosis.
The nurse does not need to ask for the client’s permission every time they need to disclose their information to someone who is part of the health care team. This would be impractical and unnecessary, as the client has already consented to share their information with those who need to know for their care.
The nurse cannot keep the client’s information anonymous when they report it to others who are involved in their care. The client’s identity is important for accurate and safe care delivery, and anonymizing their information could compromise their quality of care or lead to errors.
The nurse cannot withhold the client’s diagnosis from anyone who has a legitimate need to know, such as other health care providers, public health officials, or partner notification services. The nurse has a duty to warn those who are at risk of exposure to HIV from the client, and to comply with the legal requirements for reporting HIV cases to the state health department and CDC.
“I will only share your information with those who are directly involved in your care.”
This is because the nurse has a legal and ethical obligation to protect the client’s confidentiality and privacy, especially when dealing with sensitive information such as HIV/AIDS diagnosis.
Choice B is wrong because the nurse does not need to ask for the client’s permission every time they need to disclose their information to someone who is part of the health care team. This would be impractical and unnecessary, as the client has already consented to share their information with those who need to know for their care.
Choice C is wrong because the nurse cannot keep the client’s information anonymous when they report it to others who are involved in their care. The client’s identity is important for accurate and safe care delivery, and anonymizing their information could compromise their quality of care or lead to errors.
Choice D is wrong because the nurse cannot withhold the client’s diagnosis from anyone who has a legitimate need to know, such as other health care providers, public health officials, or partner notification services. The nurse has a duty to warn those who are at risk of exposure to HIV from the client, and to comply with the legal requirements for reporting HIV cases to the state health department and CDC.
Normal ranges for HIV tests are negative or non-reactive for antibodies or antigens. A positive or reactive test indicates the presence of HIV infection and requires confirmation by a second test.