Introduction
In a digital era, data security became a paramount aspect of human life. Many people’s private information such as bank account details, passwords, etc. can be stolen and used for ill purposes. Recently, medical records of patients have also begun to be stored in cloud services or data centers, which brings both opportunities and threats. This essay aims to review different aspects of data security in a clinical setting including nurses’ responsibility, ethics of data protection, and strategies against data leakages.
Nurses and Data Protection
A nurse is responsible for the collection of the patient personal data such as his or her name, illnesses, time and date of the visit, etc. (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018). Consequently, she is partly responsible for the safety and purposeful use of that information. In particular, a medical worker has to place that information to where it will be securely stored. With the emergence of Electronic Health Records (EHR), nurses now have accounts under which they create and update patients’ information. Now they have to take care of their own logins and passwords. In comparison to paper-based health records that nurses had to fill out by hand and submit to doctors, they acquired new responsibilities as to data protection (Nguyen, Bellucci, & Nguyen, 2014). On the other hand, losing a paper-based patient health record was and still is easier than losing an electronic one, so at least in regard to storage, nurses’ responsibilities dwindled.
Security or Ethical issues related to the use of portable devices to store information. After the advent of portable electronic devices with access to the Internet, cyberterrorism has become more potent. Users of such devices do not always protect their gadgets with passwords or use simple ones that are easy to breach. In addition, users are often careless when entering their login details in public Wi-Fi networks, where hackers can also access and use to their own advantage. With the notion that 66% of the nurses use their personal smartphones to communicate both personal and work-related information, the issue becomes even more dangerous (Neese, 2016). Such practice may also become unethical if the information transferred through such channels concerns a patient.
Information Safety Strategies
In my organization, we use oral and written data safety reminders. Nurse managers inform all personnel to always change their passwords at least once a month and check the name of the Wi-Fi network to which personal devices are connected. In addition, there are written brochures placed around the hospital that describe measures to protect one’s data. All nurses were instructed on the safety procedures while working with EHR.
An Area for Improvement
Smartphones and other portable gadgets are very useful tools for quick information exchange especially in the fast-paced and hectic work environment in hospitals. However, their use has to be secure in regard to patient data. IT departments in hospitals should tackle the security of work-related chats and internet connections. The strategy to use is an enhancement of personal safety measures such as frequent password change. Organizational measures should also be implemented. For instance, a hospital may allocate more resources to information security measures and breach defense (Kwon, & Johnson, 2013).
Conclusion
Data security in hospital environments seems to be equally a matter of personal adherence to basic rules of protection and organizational defense mechanisms. The transition from the paper era to a digital one has raised a variety of security issues that enable people to be more mindful of their data protection. With the advancements in gadgets and information exchange speed, there is a parallel sophistication in data-stealing methods. Therefore, there is a constant need to be alert for possible breaches.
References
Kwon, J., & Johnson, M. E. (2013). Health-Care Security Strategies for Data Protection and Regulatory Compliance. Journal of Management Information Systems, 30(2), 41–66.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.
Neese, B. (2016). Ethical issues in nursing: The impact of smartphones on patient care. Web.
Nguyen, L., Bellucci, E., & Nguyen, L. T. (2014). Electronic health records implementation: An evaluation of information system impact and contingency factors. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 83(11), 779-796.