Recto, Laica Marie B.

NCM 110 Lecture Midterm Requirement

BSN2G-Group 27 Prof. Cirilo Albert Hicban

Case Analysis

Tracy is a charge nurse on a busy medical–surgical unit. She is expecting

the clinical instructor from the local university at 2:00 p.m. to review and
discuss potential patient assignments for the nursing students scheduled for
the following day. Just as the university professor arrives, one of the
patients on the unit develops a crisis requiring Tracy’s attention. To expedite
the student nurse assignments for the following day, Tracy gives her
electronic medical record access password to the instructor.

Questions:
1. What is the ethical dilemma of Tracy?
=Tracy faces a significant ethical dilemma as a charge nurse on a busy medical surgical
unit. With the arrival of the clinical instructor from the local university, Tracy is torn
between attending to a patient in crisis and facilitating the student nurse assignments. The
dilemma arises when Tracy decides to share her electronic medical record access password
with the instructor to expedite the process. This action potentially compromises patient’s
confidentiality and violates data security protocols, raising ethical concerns regarding the
protection of sensitive information.

2. What underlying principles may apply to the case of Tracy? Expound

your answer.
=Several underlying principles come into play in Tracy’s case, emphasizing the
importance of patient care, confidentiality, and professional integrity. Patient confidentiality
is a fundamental ethical principle in healthcare, ensuring that the patient’s information
remains private and secure. By sharing her password, Tracy breaches these principles, risking
the unauthorized access and disclosure of patient records. Additionally, Tracy’s decision
challenges the principle of patient safety, as her attention is diverted from the immediate
needs of the patient in crisis to administrative tasks. Moreover, professional integrity dictates
that the nurses adhere to ethical standards and organizational policies, including those related
to data security and patient privacy, with Tracy jeopardizes by sharing her password.

3. Look at the ethical dilemma and examine the outcomes. Make a

reflection on the ethical decision you made.
=Reflecting on the ethical decision made, it becomes evident that Tracy’s actions were
not ethically sound. Sharing her password compromised patient confidentiality and
undermined data security, potentially exposing sensitive information to unauthorized
individuals. Instead of prioritizing administrative tasks over patient care, Tracy could have
explored alterative solutions, such as rescheduling the meeting with the instructor or
delegating the task to another staff member. Moving forward, it is crucial for Tracy to uphold
the ethical principles, prioritize patient safety and confidentiality, and seek appropriate
avenues to balance administrative responsibilities with patient care duties.