Nursing information Systems

Introduction

Information technology within the health industry has brought in a unique set of ethical and legal concerns once adopted in health settings. The usage of nursing information systems all through the country has been found to extend numerous benefits towards patient care. Thus the nursing information systems have been found to be very beneficial, equally they possesses a fair share of limitations which among other aspects include ethics. Ethics in nursing refers to performing actions contrary the nurse’s code of ethics along with what is morally right for patients. Information systems are aimed at improving patient care, consolidating and making patient information readily available. Nursing information systems have introduced several ethical concerns with regarding to the conduct or practice of nursing.

Medical information privacy and confidentiality ethics

To begin with, the mainly emotive and majorly discussed issue concerns privacy of patients’ medical information. Privacy in nursing information systems points to the avoidance by nurses to disclose patients’ medical information to unauthorized individuals (Simpson 1). These unauthorized individuals may comprise hospital staff, non-listed family members, and non-staff among others. The nursing information systems have provided an easy access to patients’ information which could easily be passed to other individuals through for instance simply emailing (ANDERSON and WILLSON 4). Nursing information systems provides access to particular groups of individuals who have entry details such as passwords; however nurses have at times been found to offer the passwords to unauthorized individuals to peep into the system.

Patients usually provide a list of individuals who may be allowed to take a look of their personal medical data; this list is usually held by nurses (Simpson 4). This gives a nurse power to disclose confidential information to only those who a listed. On the contrary a nurse may decide to offer let family members who are not listed to view the information. Privacy concerns have to a great extent haunted nurses; the willing passage of confidential information would be an extremely unethical. Nurses who have not undergone training to be able to know the extent of privacy with regard to information systems face the biggest threat of being caught up in this unethical conduct. The dangers of exposing information to unauthorized individuals are so many (ANDERSON and WILLSON 5). This may include usage of such information on criminal activities, passing information to the media in order to harm a celebrity among others. Nurses must be aware of the dangers connected to unethically allowing unauthorized individuals to access personal patient medical information (Simpson 5). This is an offense that is punishable by the law and it exposes nurses to unwarranted conflicts with the law. Nursing information systems indeed present a platform that allows this unethical aspect to prevail.

Usage of Decision Support Application without Training

A second ethical dilemma that has been introduced by the nursing information systems concerns the usage of decision support application. This application should only be used by nurses who are trained to use it in order to informing their patient care endeavors. At times however nurses who are not trained to utilize the application may it to acquire information to assist in patient care (Lewenson and Truglio-Londrigan 20). This is a very dangerous affair since information acquired may be erroneous thus leading endangering the life of a patient.  Patient safety is the core element behind nursing practice; the endeavor to use decision-support application without skills leads to practicing the exact opposite of what a nurse requires to do. If a nurse for instance makes a wrong diagnoses and goes to administer a wrong medication then the patient will be at risk losing their lives. Nurses are educated to practice quality and accountable nursing, any move to move beyond these borders amounts to unethical conduct (Simpson 4). A nurse must refrain from using the decision-support application until they have sufficient knowledge regarding its working. Indeed the decision support application has presented an opportunity for the probability of nurses to make unethical decisions of using it without training.

HIPAA, Veterans Benefits and Information Technology Contribution to Patient Care

HIPAA has made it easy to consolidate every person’s information making it readily accessible. Secondly the portability aspect of HIPAA regarding carrying insurance from one job to another greatly enhances the avoidance of insurance lapses; thus an individual will always be covered and assured of quality patient care. HIPAA has been supported by IT to increase patient care; this is for the reason that a physician is able to access past medical information regarding a patient the system. This leads to the acquirement of invaluable information leading to better treatment through avoidance replicating medication (Simpson 5). The storage of data as well as retrieval has made HIPAA to be the best thing that has ever happened to patients and nurses. Veterans Benefits on health care is an aspect that has greatly improved the health of retirees. The fact the individual does not lose the health benefits they had whilst working increases the access to quality patient-care. Nurses are also enabled to better take care of patients without the limitation of cost in their minds. Information systems technology has revolutionized the health care; the physicians and nurses from various institutions may share essential medical information. Staffs within a single hospital can easily access information for instance lab results from any position I the organization devoid of traveling to the lab. This also applies to passing prescriptions from the physician to the pharmacy through the system (Lewenson and Truglio-Londrigan 30).

Works Cited

ANDERSON, JANE, and PAMELA WILLSON. “Clinical Decision Support Systems in Nursing Synthesis of the Science for Evidence-Based Practice.” Journal of Nursing Informatics 26.3 (2008): n. pag. http://www.nursingcenter.com. Web.

Lewenson, Sandra, and Marie Truglio-Londrigan. Decision-making in Nursing: Thoughtful Approaches for Practice. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2008. Print.

Simpson, Roy. “Ethics and Information Technology How Nurses Balance When Integrity and Trust are at Stake.” Journal of Nursing Informatics (2006): n. pag. http://www.nursingcenter.com . Web.

Simpson, Roy. “e-Ethics New Dilemmas Emerge Alongside New Technologies.” Journal of Nursing Informatics 29.2 (2005): n. pag. http://www.nursingcenter.com . Web.