A registered nurse in the United States receives a request from a police officer for a patient's room number and condition. No emergency or warrant is mentioned. What should the nurse do first?
Correct answer: B. Verify the request and follow the facility's privacy procedure
- A. Provide the information because police requests always permit disclosure
- B. Verify the request and follow the facility's privacy procedure
- C. Ask another patient whether the officer seems trustworthy
- D. Post the information at the nurses' station for pickup
Explanation
The nurse should verify the request and follow the facility's authorized process before disclosing protected information. HIPAA permits some disclosures to law enforcement, but not every request allows unrestricted release by a bedside nurse.
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About US Legal and Ethical Nursing Practice
US nursing law and ethics include state nurse practice acts, scope of practice, standards of care, negligence, malpractice, documentation, confidentiality under HIPAA and informed consent. Ethical reasoning applies autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice and fidelity to conflicts such as refusal of treatment, advance directives, privacy breaches and mandatory reporting, which are not the same as legal liability.
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