Nursing Administration takes pride in sharing with staff nurses the countless letters of appreciation from patients expressing their gratitude for the outstanding care provided by BWH Nursing.

There are, however, letters that come across my desk from time to time that highlight distinct areas of opportunity. One such area is related to the intimacy of the care we deliver to our patients. They and their families place in us their trust that we will respect their privacy at a time when feelings of anxiety, anger, disbelief, pain, fear and anguish all cloud their typical behavior. They trust that the details of their condition and patient care experience will be limited to those who need to know. Yet, sometimes that trust has been breached. This is a trust earned with years of diligent attention by many, but a trust so easily displaced by a single individual’s indiscretion.

Clinicians, although not purposely, have breached patients’ confidentiality in
a way that disintegrates the trust they bestow upon us to keep their information private. We as caregivers must have access to the most private aspects of our patients’ lives in order to deliver appropriate care. However, such access requires us to protect this highly sensitive information.

In April, new federally mandated privacy laws stemming from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will take effect. In an academic medical center environment, the challenge of adhering to such mandates must be a consistent team effort.

How we handle issues of confidence speaks to the very nature of our organization and medicine itself. The covenant between a patient and his or her patient care team forms the foundation for delivering exceptional care.

BWH nurses have long been experts in delivering highly innovative care.
I look forward to working with all of you to sustain that level of care, while holding patient privacy as an equal priority.

Should you have any question regarding patients’ new rights under HIPAA or what is expected of you as a result, discuss these with your nurse manager. Included in the “What April 14 Will Bring” article on page 9, are examples of breaches of patient privacy, in light of HIPAA’s national implementation in April.

Sincerely,

Nancy Kruger, DNSc, RN
Vice President, Patient Care Services
Chief Nursing Officer