Posted: May 1st, 2025

peer response

Patient Data
Nurse’s Role
In nursing, the privacy of patients’ information is a fundamental issue. As a nurse, I have
crucial roles to play in protecting patient health information. One critical task is upholding
HIPAA’s regulations in regard to data privacy. Thus, the core approach is observing the laws
governing the handling of medical information (Murphy, 2015). Respecting the law is the perfect
approach through which I can safeguard patients’ data.
The other role entails employing the utmost professionalism when posting patient’s
information on online platforms. The subject issue is not transmitting individually identifiable
patient data. Information about patients’ health conditions requires proper handling (Masters,
2017). The reason for this aspect is because disclosing vital information can affect the patient’s
well-being.
In every clinical setting, there exist ethical policies that oversee the patient-nurse
relationship. In this case, it is imperative to observe the ethical requirements when managing
patient information. Breaking protocol is unethical and harmful to the nursing profession
(Murphy, 2015). As such, I have to observe all the ethical requirements revolving around
information privacy.
Information Management Nursing Practice
Information management serves the purpose of improving patients’ trust in nursing.
Patients cannot disclose confidential information if they are unsure of how nurses will handle it.
Information management hinders breaches that can compromise the relationship between nurses
and their patients (Masters, 2017). Therefore, every nursing facility should adopt this practice for
the sake of patients’ welfare.
Information management is useful in elevating efficiency and data optimization. These
practices ensure that data is accessible when needed. Cases of delays or inconsistencies do not
arise in nursing facilities that have proper information management systems (Masters, 2017).
Streamlining information acquisition and distribution enhances efficient care delivery, hence
resulting in client satisfaction.
Information management helps nurses to enhance patient safety. Before information
management, medical errors dominated the nursing field. The situation is entirely different
because the right information is accessible when necessary. Cases of misdiagnosis or wrong
treatment programs are unheard of due to information management (Masters, 2017). This
concept also saves time in nursing operations because nurses can easily retrieve a patient’s
medical history.
South Florida Technologies
There exist several types of technologies for underserved populations residing in South
Florida. The subject populations enjoy free internet, which enables them to surf the web without
incurring any costs. The other available technology is mobile networks, which enhance cellular
communications (Velton, Ellwood, & Obolsky, 2004). The South Florida populations also have
access to wearables for health purposes.
Free internet enables South Florida residents to conduct numerous online activities. Some
of the critical operations entail accessing information online and interacting through social media
platforms. Mobile technologies allow people to communicate and share information using
smartphones. Wearables are devices that people wear to track health information (Velton,
Ellwood, & Obolsky, 2004). These devices are useful in monitoring diabetes and hypertension
conditions.
Underserved individuals access technologies through different means. For instance, the
free internet is accessible to individuals who have compatible electronic devices. The wearables
are available in health facilities. Individuals interested in the wearables get them while
undergoing treatment. The mobile networks are accessible to individuals with
telecommunication devices (Velton, Ellwood, & Obolsky, 2004). Thus, having these devices
makes it easy for local populations to use technologies for various functions.
Conclusion
In nursing operations, nurses ought to observe the ethical and legal requirements
governing the use of patient information. Information management helps nurses to eliminate
medical errors, while at the same time streamlining data access and distribution in the healthcare
environment. South Florida’s underserved individuals have access to technologies such as
mobile networks and free internet.
References
th
Masters, K. (2017). Role development in professional nursing practice (4
Jones & Bartlett Learning.
ed.). Burlington:
Murphy, S. P. (2015). Healthcare information security and privacy. New York: McGraw-Hill
Education.
Velton, R., Ellwood, M., & Obolsky, T. (2004). The rough guide to Florida. London: Rough
Guides.
Nurse’s Role in Protecting Patient Healthcare Info
Being a Nurse entails handling a lot of private information. One reviews patients records, listens, and
records the medical history of a patient, administers medication, and even engages in therapy. Nurses
handle a lot of patient data in Nursing stations, exam rooms, and operating rooms. With all the hustles of
hospital activities going on, and many medical professionals handling one’s medical care, some might
feel insecure about the security of their medical records and think that with nurses handling so many
information, they may become desensitized on the importance of protecting a patient’s healthcare
information. This should never happen since nursing care is directed toward meeting the comprehensive
needs of patients (“American Nurses Association 2001)
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures that standards have been set on
how to handle and manage patient information. All medical staff members are bound to comply with this
act in medical practice. Maintaining patients’ privacy and confidentiality has always been an ethical
obligation of nurses (McCullough & Schell-Chaple 2013).
Therefore, to ensure that patients’ information is secure, and the law is adhered to, nurses have a role to
play. Firstly, they have to adhere to workplace security and privacy policies in protecting confidential
patient information. Since these policies have been put in place to ensure that information doesn’t fall into
unauthorized hands, by simply complying with them, nurses will help in preventing this from happening.
It also maintains professionalism and works ethics for the nurse.
Secondly, nurses should be able to understand how to handle protected health information. They should
know how to share it, when to share it and whom to share it with. The nurses should also always be
conscious when handling information. This means that they should implement ways to safeguard and
limit instances where patient information disclosure could happen. All information concerning a patient’s
health should be kept away from the public eye.
. The Role of Information Management Nursing Practice
Information Management is essential because it takes, collects, analyzes, and maintains the data that
nurses and doctors provide to deliver a productive and skilled healthcare environment. Information
management in nursing practice covers an extensive array of things. It includes data recovery, decision
support systems, electronic information systems, and such. Nurses stand to benefit from the use of new
technology (Hughes 2003)
Through information management, data recovery is more straightforward. With medicine adopting
technology such as electronic medical records as a means of operating and doing all things medical,
nurses can now sort out access patients’ health records in a faster and more efficient way, essentially
making their work easier to do and faster. This way, they can be able to serve a more significant number
of patients than before, which is an advantage.
With information management, nurses can now facilitate patients to be able to access their own health
records. Health information systems help support decision making and assist nurses in their day to day
medical intervention. It promotes very consistent nursing records as it is directed to the nursing practice
and process. The health information management has incorporated nursing informatics, which has been a
significant help in the nursing field.
Applying technology to nursing knowledge has helped in identifying problems earlier than it would have
been possible with former means. With electronic documentation, for instance, identifying changes in a
patient’s health status is easier, and therefore measures can be taken to resolve the health issue before it
gets out of hand. With the patient’s data being interpreted, systemized, and arranged at a fast rate, the
nurse can be able to use this acquired knowledge in drafting and formalizing an appropriate plan of
action.
Technologies and services accessible to the underserved population in South Florida
The health tech sector in south Florida has shown significant growth with an increase in health records
management (EHR) and telehealth. Community health organizations have also sprung up to provide
health care services, especially to the underserved in South Florida. These community health centers offer
state of the art and very comprehensive primary and behavioral health care services to the rapidly growing
South Florida region.
The South Florida community are able to enjoy medical services such as free to and from health
appointments, free prescription deliveries, health care services in the evening and weekend hours, sameday appointments with health care providers, most of their health insurances are accepted and very
affordable sliding fee income-based scale for the uninsured of the community.
The internet has become one of the easiest and most reliable ways of obtaining health care
information(Ryan, Yoder & Vanderbilt 2016). However, some areas have issues in internet connectivity
or covering the cost of using the internet in accessing health care information. Free internet has been
incorporated in some places in south Florida, which significantly helps the underserved of the medical
world to be able to access the same information as those in areas where obtaining medical health care is
readily accessible.
South Florida health care services have incorporated the building and maintaining of personal health
records. The health care system helps patients to be able to keep track of their medical care and to be able
to stay in touch with their health care providers. They help patients view part of their medical record,
input data, and schedule appointments. This helps the underserved to keep track of how their health status
is going.
References
American Nurses Association. (2001). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
Nursesbooks. Org.
McCullough, J., & Schell-Chaple, H. (2013). Maintaining patients’ privacy and confidentiality
with family communications in the intensive care unit. Critical care nurse, 33(5), 77-79.
Hughes, R. A. (2003). Clinical practice in a computer world: considering the issues. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 42(4), 340-346.
Ryan, M. H., Yoder, J., Flores, S. K., Soh, J., & Vanderbilt, A. A. (2016). Using health information
technology to reach patients in underserved communities: A pilot study to help close the gap with health
disparities. Global journal of health science, 8(6), 86.