Do the nurses have the right to know the illness of their patient?

Question

Do the health care providers have the right to know the illness of their patient if the patient wish to exercise his right of confidentiality and privacy?
does it matter if the patient has a communicable disease?

Answer 1

of course. How can a nurse help a patient unless he/she knows what is wrong

and if it is contagious nurses have the right to protest themselves

: )

Answer 2

If you are caring for the patient then by all means, you should know what their illness is. I think that if a patient refuses to let the nurse know and the doctor will not tell them because of laws on confidentiality, then the nurse should have the right to refuse to take care of the patient without fear of retribution. It should be a law that a nurse can not be fired for refusal to treat someone when they will not divulge the illness they are being treated for.

Answer 3

The Ryan White law specifies that all medical workers are entitled to know the results of a patient's test work if it reveals HIV or AIDS. Beyond that, it is just common sense that they should know of other diseases that could infect them or their loved ones that you have. After all, these are people who are using their time to help you when you are sick. Also, knowing what illnesses you have can help them to be better able to treat you. Speaking as an EMT, knowing your illnesses will not affect your care in a negative way. The only thing you'll probably notice is a slight increase in the level of infection precautions that your healthcare worker provides. This helps both of you. For instance, an HIV patient who has a nurse wear a mask is much less likely to get an infection from that nurse. In this case, the mask is worn, not to protect the nurse, who can't catch HIV from the air, but the patient.

Please, if you have any illness or disease, please let any health care worker assigned to you know so that they can protect both themselves and you.

Answer 4

Yes we have the right to know the illness as by law we are required to know every medication our patients are on and why they are on it as well as the major side effects of the medicine. If the state or federal regulators come into our facility and ask us what we are giving someone we have to have a diagnosis that matches with the medication we are giving. Also we have to be able to monitor the effectiveness of the medication so that we can report to the doctor if the medication he prescribed is not working for the problem he prescribed it for. We are however bound by the same confidentiality laws and privacy laws that all medical professionals are in that you may not not discuss a patient with anyone but the people taking care of him. If you are caught divulging info at the lunch table or outside of work you risk losing your nursing license.

Answer 5

how do you expect the medical professionals to help you if you do not tell them your medical problems? also if they tell anyone with out your permission even other doctors they can get into trouble ...well supposedly. O I see.... you want to know for the professionals protection and in that case I think they should know but they should HAVE known before going into that field of work that stumbling onto contagious disease will definitely happen. also people with illness are not always responsible or caring of others health, and still must be treated. It is probably something they teach in nursing and medical schools. If not they should, I'm sure they take a psychology course.

Answer 6

Nurses have the right to know their patients illness. Especially if it communicable, so that they can follow proper procedures for providing direct care. If is NOT fair for a nurse to not know she should use gloves/masks/gowns etc for patient care. I would not be a nurse to risk my life and the lives of my family and friends without being given the opportunity to protect myself and them. Anyone with a sense of responsibility would report it to their medical care team. Not to report it is senseless and immature.
It is a totally different story when you don't know how bad it is, like when SARS initially hit Toronto.

Answer 7

If you wish to be treated correctly for you communicable disease you certainly had better make sure your Dr and nurse understand your needs. That is how they determine what to do for you.

Nurses are healthcare providers just like Drs and they need to know what is wrong with you and they have the right and duty to know what is wrong with you. Do you think you are the only person who they have seen with a commincable disease.

The nurse has both the right and the responsiblity to know what is wrong with you.

Answer 8

Yes, as Far as Confidentiality Is Concerned, One Cannot Depend On it, people Will Talk.

Answer 9

Nurses and other healthcare workers have a rule that all blood and body fluid, and patients are to be treated as if they are infected. That is why we have universal precautions. If a nurse does her job right, she doesnt need to know if someone is infected. There are certain instances where we are told, such as air born pathegons, where of course we have to wear a mask. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

if you are a nurse, it is vital that you know the sickness and condition of your patient to be able to give a very effective and
correct nursing care. it is also additional knowledge on your part
if you research a little on diseases. it will be a plus factor. you still maitain privacy if you just keep the patient's diagnosis to yourself.