Confidentiality

Compliance with HIA

All students and instructors have obligations under the Health Information Act (2001/2018) and Alberta Electronic Health Record Regulation (2010) related to the “collection, use, disclosure, and security of health information that protects the privacy and confidentiality of individuals and their health information” (CARNA 2020, Privacy & Management of Health Information Standards, p.2). Students are accountable for ensuring that they follow all relevant privacy legislation and policies, and understand the privacy requirements that apply to their nursing practice. Access to an individual’s health information should be limited to that which is needed for your role. Reasonable measures must be in place to: physically secure the areas in which health information is stored; maintain information security while it is being transported from one location to another; and to securely dispose of documents containing health information. Legislation requires mandatory reporting of a privacy breach in an expedient manner, to enable assessment of risk of harm to an individual when their health information is lost, inappropriately accessed or disclosed.

Fieldwork Placement

Safeguarding confidential patient, client, or research participant information at all times is critical when you are at your placement site. Here are some guidelines to ensure that students are compliant with privacy legislation:

Papers/print outs/copies/photos with patient, clients, or research participant names, health record numbers or other personally identifiable information should never be taken away from your placement site.
If you use a census sheet or other patient list during your shift, this should be placed in the confidential shredder at the end of the shift. If you and your preceptor feel this should be kept to refer to for patient care purposes the following day, please ask your preceptor where a secure place to keep this is on the unit or in the preceptor's locked office.
Never discuss patients, clients, or research participants outside of the placement site or with persons that are not directly involved in the project.
If debriefing with your professors and peers in the classroom or online setting , do not reveal any information about individuals or families that could in anyway identify them.

Resources or Students and Preceptors

Practice Standards

Reporting a Privacy Breach

Mandatory reporting of privacy breaches is required by the legislation so that persons can be notified of potential harms that they may experience resulting from inappropriate access, disclosure, or loss of their health information.

Prompt reporting of privacy breaches to the UofA Faculty of Nursing AND Clinical Placement Site is required to minimize harm and prevent further occurrences.

To report a breach: Contact the Course Professor.

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