Ethical issues confronting nurses

Nurses are morally obligated to give quality nursing care to all HIV-infected individuals that respects their dignity as individuals without regard to their differences in values and lifestyle, the nature of their illness, or their own contribution to infection. This obligation is defended by the principle of beneficence which asserts that nurses should act in ways that prevent harm, remove harm, and promote good to others. Minimal personal risk is inherent in the practice of nursing and is a burden all nurses must bear. Nurses are also obligated to preserve the principle of confidentiality in the practice of nursing. The principle of confidentiality is founded in the patient's right to privacy and the preservation of the nurse-patient relationship. Because HIV-infected individuals may receive great harm from the inadvertent and unwarranted disclosure of sensitive, personal information, nurses need to carefully apply the principle of confidentiality and ethical guidelines to their practice of nursing and to take an active role in the protection of patient confidentiality in all health care systems. Although violation of the principle of confidentiality may be justified when the rights or interests of a third party come into conflict with the duty of confidentiality, the complex issues surrounding HIV infection may make such an argument more difficult to defend, especially in regard to the disclosure of the risk of HIV transmission to sex partners without the permission of the HIV-infected individual.