Nurses' Legal and Ethical Position

Ethics
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Nursing is a complex profession that comes with hefty obligations to care for the patients and their needs. Other than the good will of helping patient, there are legal and nursing codes that have to be observed at all times. In the case of a nurse that is involved in handling sensitive information relating to HIV and AIDS status of the patient, is placed in a very delicate situation when such information may affect their kin (Brent, 1990). Where a nurse comes across information relating to a boyfriend to their sister, indicating that the said boyfriend is HIV positive, the complexity and dilemma is eminent. On one hand the nurse has to observe the law and nursing guidelines as well ethical standards that relate with confidentiality of patient data. On the other hand with holding the information could easily place the life of her sister in danger of being infected (Whitworth, Pickering, Morgan & Seidel, 1996).
The nurse is held to the obligation of confidentiality by the code of ethics and the conflict of interest (Scott & Craig, 2008). However, is also important to note that, this are not without conditions. This is to mean that, there is wiggle room especially when consid...