Nurses are guided by professional standards which both relate to and guide nursing practise, these include The Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia, The National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse and the Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. These standards underpin the practise of nursing and work to ensure that clear regulatory principles are available allowing nurses to assess their own competence, gain support and ultimately improve their practise (Goldsmith, 2011, p.12). Similarly, these standards work to remind nurses to uphold the reputation of the profession and commit to fulfilling the duty of care whilst providing the best healthcare possible. In the case scenario the Registered Nurse (RN) breaches multiple
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150). The RN breached Value Statement Seven of the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia which outlines the significance of ethical management of information and the value of honesty and professionalism. Atkins, de Lacey, & Britton (2014, p.6) recognise that it is an expectation that nurses do not divulge information about a patient to anyone that is not authorised to have that information or without consent from the individual. Similarly, Standard One of The National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse outlines the expectation that a nurse ensures that their actions ‘demonstrate awareness of legal implications of nursing practise’ (NMBA, 2006, p. 2, para.10). The RN in the case study is ignorant to the legal implications associated with confidentiality as demonstrated by her actions in disclosing patient information. As a result, the nurse sharing the medical files with a friend not only breaches multiple standards outlined in the National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse but also jeopardises the reputation of the profession as nurses are “professionally accountable to the public, patients, their employer and their profession” (Sutcliffe, 2011, p. 35,
150). The RN breached Value Statement Seven of the Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia which outlines the significance of ethical management of information and the value of honesty and professionalism. Atkins, de Lacey, & Britton (2014, p.6) recognise that it is an expectation that nurses do not divulge information about a patient to anyone that is not authorised to have that information or without consent from the individual. Similarly, Standard One of The National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse outlines the expectation that a nurse ensures that their actions ‘demonstrate awareness of legal implications of nursing practise’ (NMBA, 2006, p. 2, para.10). The RN in the case study is ignorant to the legal implications associated with confidentiality as demonstrated by her actions in disclosing patient information. As a result, the nurse sharing the medical files with a friend not only breaches multiple standards outlined in the National Competency Standards for the Registered Nurse but also jeopardises the reputation of the profession as nurses are “professionally accountable to the public, patients, their employer and their profession” (Sutcliffe, 2011, p. 35,