How do you maintain patient privacy and confidentiality in the workplace?
Addiction nurses must be knowledgeable about when and how to protect sensitive or private patient information. Experience and/or knowledge of HIPAA will be desirable. Demonstrate your understanding of the importance of protecting patient information in the workplace and consider ways you ensure patient information is not left in public places or stored inappropriately. Perhaps you speak in a lower voice when relaying confidential information so other patients don't overhear, or maybe you lock your computer when you leave your workstation. When responding, give an overview of your experience in healthcare protecting this type of data and examples of ways you safeguard patient information.
"As a nurse, one of my top priorities is adhering to patient privacy laws and protecting patient information. I make sure I'm up to date on who patients have authorized us to share their information with. I also protect patient files and records whether they are paper copies that I secure before leaving the area or electronic copies that I secure by locking my computer when I'm away from it. Additionally, anytime I have reason to believe there has been a confidentiality breach, I report it to the appropriate person immediately."
"In nursing school, we spent many course hours going over the importance of protecting patient information and adherence to HIPAA laws. During my clinical rotations anytime I walked away from my workstation or computer used to chart, I logged off so that no one without permission could access the system without my credentials. At the nurse's station, I made sure patient files, prescriptions, lab orders, and even post-it notes that I had written sensitive information on, and test results were secured and not in plain sight to a passerby. When I dealt with a patient's family and friends inquiring about patient statuses, I always checked their file to see who they consented to be given that information."
"HIPAA requires us to comply with rules to protect the personal health information of patients. One example of how I protect patient information is by keeping my voice at a reasonable level during conversations and reducing my volume if I'm discussing a sensitive matter so that others who should not be hearing that information do not overhear my conversation. I do not gossip on the unit and I do not share patient information with other healthcare staff who do not have a need to know. When I use office equipment, I make sure I'm sending patient files to the correct location and I use a cover sheet when sending documents via fax. I maintain patient files and charts for the required amount of time comply with all hospital policies regarding the protection of patient information."
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