Talking About Sensitive Health Care Issues

Photo above is of a nurse discussing records with a senior,  female patient during a home visit. Photo courtesy of News Canada.

(NC) — People share some of their most personal health information with nurses. Whether it is a sensitive subject, such as memory problems, addiction, or sex and pregnancy, it’s important to feel confident that nurses won’t reveal your personal health matters.

Social media raises concerns that anything put out there could end up online for others to see. But, nurses are accountable for keeping every piece of a patient’s personal information confidential. Personal information can include anything from physical and mental health issues, to family health history, to care previously provided. What’s said to nurses is information that they won’t share with anyone outside of the health care team.

Nurses work hard at being one of Ontario’s most trusted professions. One way nurses show their commitment to keeping the public’s trust is by upholding standards around the proper handling of personal health information.

These standards are set by the College of Nurses of Ontario, the province’s nursing regulator. The role of the College is to ensure that nurses have the skills, knowledge and judgment to provide safe care. Nurses uphold these standards everyday by:

• maintaining the confidentiality of personal health information, including information that is documented or stored electronically;
• preserving confidentiality even after the professional nurse-patient relationship has ended;
• not discussing patient information in public spaces, or discussing care being provided on social media;
• denying access to health information to anyone who is not on a patient or client’s health care team, or does not have the patient or client’s permission to view it; and
• disposing of personal health records in a way that maintains confidentiality.

More information about other College standards nurses uphold is available at cno.org/here.