A nurse is entering information on the patient's electronic health record (EHR) and is called to assist in an emergency situation with regard to another patient in the labor and birth suite. The nurse rushes to the scene to assist; however, she leaves the chart open on the computer screen. The emergent patient situation is resolved satisfactorily, and the nurse comes back to the computer entry screen to complete charting. At the end of the shift, the nurse manager asks to speak with the nurse and tells her that she is concerned with what happened today on the unit because there was a breach in confidentiality. Which response by the nurse indicates that she understands the nurse manager's concerns?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

With the use of electronic health records, it is necessary to take all steps to maintain confidentiality and limit access to nonhealth care personnel. In an emergent care situation, the nurse should have logged out of the system to maintain confidentiality. Although it is important to make sure that one's patient is safe, there is no information here to suggest that there were any safety issues applicable to her assigned patient. The staffing of the unit should not affect confidentiality. Changing the password for logging in to a system is an option for clinical practice but does not affect the situation as described.

A Nurse Is Entering Information on the Patient's Electronic Health