The physician has ordered heparin 7000 units subcutaneous daily.

The medication is supplied in heparin 10,000 units in 1 mL. How many milliliters will the nurse administer?

Choice A rationale

Nurses have a professional and legal obligation to maintain patient confidentiality. Accessing medical records should be limited to patients for whom the nurse is currently responsible for providing care. This ensures that patient information is viewed only when necessary for care delivery, upholding privacy and security standards.

Choice B rationale

Allowing nurses unrestricted access to any client's medical records within the healthcare facility, even without sharing, is a breach of privacy principles. Access should be role-based and justified by the need to provide care to that specific patient. Broad access increases the risk of unauthorized viewing of sensitive information.

Choice C rationale

Sharing a client's medical record information is restricted by privacy laws like HIPAA. Information can generally only be shared with individuals the patient has explicitly consented to, not automatically with immediate family members unless the patient has provided authorization. There are specific legal guidelines regarding disclosure of patient health information.

Choice D rationale

Sharing a client's medical information with other clients, even those with similar diagnoses, is a violation of patient confidentiality. Each patient's medical record is private, and discussing one patient's case with another, without explicit consent, is unethical and potentially illegal. .

Answer and explanation

The correct answer is Choice B.

Choice A rationale

Speculating about the cause of the fall ("probably urinated on the floor") is unprofessional and lacks factual basis. Charting should be objective and based on observed facts, not assumptions.

Choice B rationale

Documenting objective observations, such as finding the patient on the floor with the urinal nearby, provides a factual account of the incident without making assumptions or assigning blame. This allows for a more accurate analysis of potential contributing factors.

Choice C rationale

Commenting on the nurse assistant's work habits ("always took her time") is subjective, irrelevant to the fall incident itself, and unprofessional. Charting should focus on the patient and the event.

Choice D rationale

Describing the patient as "grouchy and inappropriate" is judgmental, subjective, and does not contribute to an understanding of the fall. Such personal opinions are inappropriate for medical documentation.