Question

You are a preceptor for a new nursing employee at the local hospital. She needs to access a patients electronic health record (EHR) to retrieve laboratory results; however, the newly hired nurse has not yet received a computer password. What action should you take?

1) Give her your password to use until she obtains her own password.
2) Log on and remain with her while she views the record.
3) Notify your supervisor that the new employee needs a password.
4) Inform her that she will not receive a password until her orientation is complete.

Answer 1

The best course of action is to log on for the new nurse and remain with her as she accesses the EHR, and also inform the supervisor that she needs a password. It is important to follow security protocol, ensuring both compliance and patient privacy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct action to take when a new nursing employee needs to access a patient's electronic health record (EHR) but does not have a computer password is to log on and remain with her while she views the record. This ensures that the patient's privacy and data security are maintained while also allowing the new nurse to perform her duties. Giving one's personal password to another individual is a serious breach of security protocol and can lead to confidentiality issues. It is also important to notify your supervisor that the new employee needs a password to carry out her responsibilities effectively and securely. While it's helpful for new employees to understand workplace expectations and to observe and learn the norms for things like taking breaks or socializing, when it comes to accessing sensitive patient information, strict adherence to privacy and security rules is critical.