Disclosing patient information to a third party, without a patient’s consent or a court order is considered a breach of confidentiality. Legal liability for a breach of confidentiality covers a broader spectrum than ethical guidelines, which lend to doing what is morally right. Confidentiality in nursing comes with an ethical need for creating rapport with patients. Trust established facilitates increased communication and comfort for discussing personal information. There are some exceptions in terms of patient confidentiality; they are ethically and legally justified as a result of social considerations that are overriding. For example, exceptions are made upon ...
Informing both the girls the extent of confidentiality may have been helpful ahead of time. Letting them know that if results of their tests showed positive for something life threatening such as needing treatment for cervical cancer, parents would need to be consulted to aide in supporting follow treatment needed.
Through communication with the two girls the nurse finds out that they have both been participating in sex parties and engaging sexually with multiple partners. At this point, the nurse is torn with multiple ethical dilemmas and is torn with how to maintain the confidentiality that was promised. Applying a combination of ethical theories the nurse can identify how to best handle these ethical dilemmas. It is important that the nurse communicates the need for treatment for cervical cancer and that having her parents consent is most likely going to be necessary. Virtue ethics can be applied here as it is about an individual of good character doing the right thing. The nurse communicates the severity of her diagnosis and through guidance may be able to create understanding of her patients need to inform her parents.
