Final answer:
To obtain client information via fax in a healthcare setting, a nurse must include both a fax cover sheet and a signed release of information to comply with privacy regulations and ensure secure and authorized communication.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a nurse in the ambulatory care setting uses a fax machine to gain information about a client from another facility, they must include both a fax cover sheet and a signed release of information. The cover sheet helps ensure that the fax is delivered to and reviewed by the intended recipient, maintaining a professional level of communication. More importantly, the signed release of information is a legal requirement that complies with privacy regulations, such as HIPAA, ensuring that the client's health information is protected and only shared with authorized individuals or entities. Without a proper release, sharing medical information via fax could constitute a breach of patient privacy.
By reviewing items aloud with the team, such as whether instrument counts are complete or if there are any issues with equipment, a nurse ensures that all necessary pre-procedural checks are accounted for. Although this is an important safety protocol in the nursing practice, it is not directly related to the process of obtaining client information via fax.