You find a coworker looking through a patient's medical record and inquiring about their condition. What is the best course of action?

In a healthcare setting, confidentiality and patient privacy are of utmost importance, governed by regulations such as HIPAA. Discovering a coworker looking through a patient's medical record and inquiring about their condition indicates a potential breach of these critical standards.

The best course of action involves directly addressing the coworker's behavior by clearly stating that you cannot share any patient information. This reinforces the expectation that nursing professionals must uphold patient confidentiality. Following this, reporting the incident to a manager is essential. This ensures that appropriate measures can be taken to address the situation and prevent future violations.

Maintaining confidentiality is not only a legal requirement but also a key ethical principle in nursing practice. By choosing to act in this manner, you not only protect the patient's privacy, but also uphold the integrity of the nursing profession. Reporting the incident enables the organization to review policies and reinforce training on patient information handling, fostering a culture of accountability among staff.