The professional secret in nursing: a practical case
Section: Ethics and Society
How to quote
Martínez Ortega RM, Oter Quintana C, Rubiales Predes MD, Salguero Molpeceres O. El secreto profesional en Enfermería: un caso práctico. Metas de Enferm nov 2005; 8(9): 49-53
Authors
1Rosa Mª Martínez Ortega, 2Cristina Oter Quintana, 3María Dolores Rubiales Paredes, 4Oliver Salguero Molpeceres
Position
1Profesora de la Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de la Comunidad de Madrid. 2Enfermera. Centro de Salud Pozuelo I. Área 6. Atención Primaria, Madrid. Profesora Colaboradora de la Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería (EUE) de la Comunidad de Madrid.3Profesora Colaboradora de la (EUE) de la Comunidad de Madrid.4Médico de Familia. Centro de Salud "Pozuelo I". Área 6. Atención Primaria, Madrid.
Contact address
Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería de la Comunidad de Madrid. Avda. Orellana, s/n. Recinto Hospital Severo Ochoa. 28911 Leganés, Madrid.
Abstract
In their daily activity, nursing professionals are constantly being faced with numerous situations in which ethical issues are always present. Professional secret is today a right of the user and an obligation for the professional that requires a responsible attitude. Such responsible attitude must be in accordance with the minimum required both from a legislative point of view as well as from a deontological point of view. With the aim of identifying the contributions of Bioethics to the daily, practice of Nursing, this article intents to analyse and to support a practical case in which several ethical dilemmas are looked upon within the framework of professional secret and confidentiality of patient data. Nursing, apart from having direct care as its priority, also has to do with the fragility of reality and the vulnerability of human beings. Thus, current conviction is that the duties of the nursing professional include far more than the simple performance of care duties. Such duties include competition and technical ability and most importantly, a moral virtue. It is within this framework that professional secret and respect for the data obtained in relation to the patient becomes transcendent. Training in the field of bioethics and the set up of its basic principles permits the professional to adopt a responsible attitude that is both respectful and individualised, in accordance with the needs of each patient at each moment.
Keywords:
confidentiality; professional secret; Bioethicsnursing ethics
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