Resident Privacy Breach Due to Staff Use of Personal Phone
Penalty
Summary
A licensed nurse (LN) used her personal phone to take a photograph of a resident's right arm while it was tied to the bed during an intravenous (IV) line placement. The nurse was informed by a night shift nurse that the resident's arm had been tied, and before instructing the nurse to untie the arm, she took a picture with her personal device. The resident involved had been admitted with diagnoses including dementia, which affects memory, thinking, and social abilities. The facility administrator confirmed that the photograph was taken on the nurse's personal phone, which may not have been encrypted and could potentially be accessed by unauthorized individuals. Facility policy requires employees to treat residents with kindness, respect, and dignity, and to maintain privacy and confidentiality of resident information. The act of taking a photograph with a personal phone constituted a failure to maintain the resident's privacy and confidentiality.