NURS FPX 4035 Assessment 2
[Student Name]
Capella University
Professor’s Name
August 2025
NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 Interprofessional Staff Update: Protecting PHI in ICU
The essential need for patient privacy is due to hazardous conditions imposed by critical illness in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Social media gives a possibility to express themselves, yet it is a threat to the privacy, security, and confidentiality of patients. The hazards of noncompliant social media use are outlined in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, with potential solutions to the risk of PHI privacy breach.
Protected Health Information (PHI), Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality
The issue of discussion in the NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 is based on PHI, which consists of information regarding the health of a person, prescribed medication, etc. In order to safeguard the confidentiality of patients, HIPAA sets standards on how to store PHI in a confidential way (Edemekong et al., 2022). It is the privacy that implies patients’ rights to their information. Using social media to share your experience in the intensive care unit is one of example of disclosing protected health information without your consent. This proves the safety of electronic medical data by ensuring that the above-mentioned security measures is not compromised or opened to unauthorized individuals. For instance, posting a patient’s progress on social media could inadvertently expose otherwise private information that is vulnerable to hacking by cybercriminals. Confidentiality is the privacy of patient data, meaning that patient information is not shared without the patient’s permission. The disclosure of information about a patient’s illness to family members without the patient’s or family members’ consent is one example.
The majority of the research has addressed patient privacy and confidentiality in regard to social media, and NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 emphasizes these concerns. The hazards, moral dilemmas, and best practices that healthcare workers should adopt are the most noteworthy
topics discussed here. As indicated by the study by Ahmed et al. (2020), the interactive nature of social media search engines enables the posting of patient data even without the information being present. Moreover, as it is stated in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, posting photos of patients on training and educational websites may attract a far bigger audience than initially imagined, because the sites are themselves not confidential, and may be more difficult to control after they are published. Social media often demonstrates ethical violations as a hindrance to the formation of favorable therapeutic relationships (Vuku Rukavina et al., 2021). As demonstrated by Vukušić Rukavina et al. (2021), poor social media posts that reveal protected health information harm a company’s reputation and lead to corrective actions, such as job termination and legal consequences. The institution has social media guidelines to protect patients’ privacy and confidentiality as DOs and DON’Ts. The DON’Ts also include sharing pictures of patients without their permission, spreading misleading information, participating in online arguments, and leaving negative feedback on patient posts. DOs include generic career information, successes and successes relating to the job, health advice that isn’t specific to the patient, and well wishes like “get well soon.” HIPAA and state rules pertaining to patient privacy and protected health information must also be followed by healthcare professionals; noncompliance can result in penalties, legal action, and even criminal charges.
Importance of Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Multidisciplinary teams are crucial in making sure that the tailored technology solutions align with clinical procedures and PHI regulations, as NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 emphasizes. EHR and clinical decision support system deployments are supported by this partnership role in a safe and user-friendly manner. For instance, developing a robust security protocol that our IT team, legal experts, security experts, and nurse informaticists could use
across all of our systems is an example of how crucial interdisciplinary cooperation is to ensuring the most thorough security of patient data in the protection of electronic patient data. The real world is adopting an evidence-based strategy to guarantee these by implementing thorough social media policies and encrypting data both in transit and at rest. Personal social media accounts are being replaced with secure communication platforms like Microsoft Teams or Signal to discuss patient care. According to Pool et al. (2024), it is also essential to establish and support stringent data access based on the role of interdisciplinary team members, conduct regular audits by legal experts and nurse informaticists to find vulnerabilities and implement corrective measures, prepare to respond to incidents, and conduct regular training. These plans outline the components of protected health information and demonstrate how departmental collaboration can create a useful framework for ePHI security. In addition to individuals, organizations, and policymakers, healthcare professionals are among the target audience for the social media post. Since they are under the control of electronic health information, the members of the interdisciplinary team are included among the healthcare professionals. Instead, in order to build this trust, patients should be told that the organization is working to protect their private information (Bridges et al., 2021). Governments and regulators that assist in maintaining the security of health information are known as policymakers. All healthcare specialties must work together properly to secure sensitive protected health information. As noted in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, procedures, including open communication and training, can improve our capacity to protect patient privacy and guarantee adherence to HIPAA regulations.
Social Media Risks in the ICU and Steps to Take if a Breach Occurs
Sensitive patient information may be accidentally revealed through social media posts about working in the intensive care unit (ICU) (To, 2024). The reputation of healthcare facilities
suffers when patient privacy and confidentiality are violated. Sports groups have been punished heavily for violating the law, and nurses have been fired for posting private, protected health information on social media. When an unsecured ePHI breach is discovered, the responsible party should respond quickly and systematically. Immediately notify the supervisor or privacy officer. Additionally, remove any visible writing to prevent further reading by others. Next, conduct an investigation to determine the extent of the breach, its causes, and any necessary corrective measures. Finally, as stated in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, train staff, insist on privacy regulations, and carry out specialist training to guarantee future blunders are avoided, promoting a culture of personal responsibility and habitual upgrades.
Evidence-Based Strategies to Mitigate Risks
Most healthcare firms require training sessions on social media policies, HIPAA compliance, and secure ePHI handling. Highlighting the data that are included in protected health information fosters the culture of ongoing training that aims to reduce unintentional breaches and teach the idea of responsibility. For example, the study by Gamor et al. (2023) discovered that nurses who received frequent training had a far higher awareness of social media risks and complied with privacy policies. Hospitals have replaced the usage of private social media accounts to discuss patient care with either internal communication software (like Microsoft Teams) or encrypted messaging apps (like Signal). To (2024) claims that secure platforms aid in preventing inadvertent information leaks and HIPAA violation avoidance. Taking into account the company’s social media standards, which limit patient information to people who are always available and only share it when necessary. As noted in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, one sizable healthcare institution has developed a thorough social media policy that expressly forbids the sharing of patient information on social media, either directly or
indirectly. The policy outlines guidelines for professional social media use and imposes penalties for noncompliance. Clear procedures prevent misconceptions and give staff helpful standards to prevent violations, according to Barrett-Maitland and Lynch (2020). Make a commitment to ongoing training regarding the responsible use of social media in our care setting, taking into account the vulnerabilities of our very sick patients.
Employees at one Midwest hospital were trained by nurse informaticists to handle sensitive data safely and efficiently using EHR systems. They hosted lectures that covered topics such as what is protected health information and how to spot fraudulent websites and other online crimes. Nurse informaticists were able to maximize data security and remove errors as they use technology, according to Booth et al. (2021). Every quarter, the designated healthcare facility in California conducts an audit of the PHI access logs and social media usage to look for potential vulnerabilities. More training and disciplinary actions are used to address the disparities. Regular risk assessments are mandated by HIPAA in order to identify and close security system vulnerabilities (Allen, 2021). “One of the hospitals in Florida was able to establish a confidential reporting system where the employees could report to their supervisors or privacy officers in case they observed any potential breach, highlighting what protected health information includes.” The anonymous reporting system was set up by the organization to report any possible violations of confidentiality or misuse of social media. Employees can report issues anonymously through the system’s online portal and helpline. As stressed in NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2, Allen (2021) asserts that prompt reporting and repair can minimize the impact of breaches and have an impact on their recurrence.
References
Ahmed, W., Jagsi, R., Gutheil, T. G., & Katz, M. S. (2020). Public disclosure on social media of identifiable patient information by health professionals: Content analysis of Twitter data. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e19746. https://doi.org/10.2196/19746
Allen, A. L. (2021). HIPAA at 25 — A work in progress. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(23), 2169–2171. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2100900
Barrett-Maitland, N., & Lynch, J. (2020). Social media, ethics, and the privacy paradox. Security and Privacy From a Legal, Ethical, and Technical Perspective. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90906
Bridges, C., Duenas, D. M., Lewis, H., Anderson, K., Opel, D. J., Wilfond, B. S., & Kraft, S. A. (2021). Patient perspectives on how to demonstrate respect: Implications for clinicians and healthcare organizations. PLOS ONE, 16(4), e0250999. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250999
Edemekong, P. F., Annamaraju, P., Afzal, M., & Haydel, M. J. (2022, February 3). Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – StatPearls – NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/
Gamor, N., Dzansi, G., Konlan, K. D., & Abdulai, E. (2023). Exploring social media adoption by nurses for nursing practice in rural Volta, Ghana. Nursing Open, 10(7), 4432-4441. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1685
Pool, J., Akhlaghpour, S., Fatehi, F., & Burton-Jones, A. (2024). A systematic analysis of failures in protecting personal health data: A scoping review. International Journal of Information Management, 74, 102719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102719To, K. K. (2024). From hashtags to headaches. Nursing, 54(1), 56-58. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nurse.0000995604.57612.73
Vukušić Rukavina, T., Viskić, J., Machala Poplašen, L., Relić, D., Marelić, M., Jokic, D., & Sedak, K. (2021). Dangers and benefits of social media on E-professionalism of health care professionals: Scoping review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(11), e25770. https://doi.org/10.2196/25770
