NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices – Step-by-Step Guide With Example Answer
The first step before starting to write the NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices is to understand the requirements of the assignment. The first step is to read the assignment prompt carefully to identify the topic, the length and format requirements. You should go through the rubric provided so that you can understand what is needed to score the maximum points for each part of the assignment.
It is also important to identify the paper’s audience and purpose, as this will help you determine the tone and style to use throughout. You can then create a timeline to help you complete each stage of the paper, such as conducting research, writing the paper, and revising it to avoid last-minute stress before the deadline. After identifying the formatting style to be applied to the paper, such as APA, review its use, including writing citations and referencing the resources used. You should also review the formatting requirements for the title page and headings in the paper, as outlined by Capella University.
How to Research and Prepare for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
The next step in preparing for your paper is to conduct research and identify the best sources to use to support your arguments. Identify a list of keywords related to your topic using various combinations. The first step is to visit the Capella University library and search through its database using the important keywords related to your topic. You can also find books, peer-reviewed articles, and credible sources for your topic from the Capella University Library, PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, and Google Scholar. Ensure that you select the references that have been published in the last 5 years and go through each to check for credibility. Ensure that you obtain the references in the required format, such as APA, so that you can save time when creating the final reference list.
You can also group the references according to their themes that align with the outline of the paper. Go through each reference for its content and summarize the key concepts, arguments and findings for each source. You can write down your reflections on how each reference connects to the topic you are researching. After the above steps, you can develop a strong thesis that is clear, concise and arguable. Next, create a detailed outline of the paper to help you develop headings and subheadings for the content. Ensure that you plan what point will go into each paragraph.
How to Write the Introduction for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
The introduction of the paper is the most crucial part, as it helps provide the context of your work and determines whether the reader will be interested in reading through to the end. Begin with a hook, which will help capture the reader’s attention. You should contextualize the topic by offering the reader a concise overview of the topic you are writing about so that they may understand its importance. You should state what you aim to achieve with the paper. The last part of the introduction should be your thesis statement, which provides the main argument of the paper.
How to Write the Body for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
The body of the paper helps you to present your arguments and evidence to support your claims. You can use headings and subheadings developed in the paper’s outline to guide you on how to organize the body. Start each paragraph with a topic sentence to help the reader know what point you will be discussing in that paragraph. Support your claims using the evidence collected from the research, and ensure that you cite each source properly using in-text citations. You should analyze the evidence presented and explain its significance, as well as how it relates to the thesis statement. You should maintain a logical flow between paragraphs by using transition words and a flow of ideas.
How to Write the In-text Citations for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
In-text citations help readers give credit to the authors of the references they have used in their work. All ideas that have been borrowed from references, any statistics and direct quotes must be referenced properly. The name and date of publication of the paper should be included when writing an in-text citation. For example, in APA, after stating the information, you can put an in-text citation after the end of the sentence, such as (Smith, 2021). If you are quoting directly from a source, include the page number in the citation, for example (Smith, 2021, p. 15). Remember to also include a corresponding reference list at the end of your paper that provides full details of each source cited in your text. An example paragraph highlighting the use of in-text citations is as below:
“The integration of technology in nursing practice has significantly transformed patient care and improved health outcomes. According to Morelli et al. (2024), the use of electronic health records (EHRs) has streamlined communication among healthcare providers, allowing for more coordinated and efficient care delivery. Furthermore, Alawiye (2024) highlights that telehealth services have expanded access to care, particularly for patients in rural areas, thereby reducing barriers to treatment.”
How to Write the Conclusion for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
When writing the conclusion of the paper, start by restating your thesis, which helps remind the reader what your paper is about. Summarize the key points of the paper by restating them. Discuss the implications of your findings and your arguments. Conclude with a call to action that leaves a lasting impression on the reader or offers recommendations.
How to Format the Reference List for NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
The reference helps provide the reader with the complete details of the sources you cited in the paper. The reference list should start with the title “References” on a new page. It should be aligned center and bolded. The references should be organized in an ascending order alphabetically, and each should have a hanging indent. If a source has no author, it should be alphabetized by the title of the work, ignoring any initial articles such as “A,” “An,” or “The.” If you have multiple works by the same author, list them in chronological order, starting with the earliest publication.
Each reference entry should include specific elements depending on the type of source. For books, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the book in italics, the edition (if applicable), and the publisher’s name. For journal articles, include the author’s last name, first initial, publication year in parentheses, the title of the article (not italicized), the title of the journal in italics, the volume number in italics, the issue number in parentheses (if applicable), and the page range of the article. For online sources, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL at the end of the reference. An example reference list is as follows:
References
Morelli, S., Daniele, C., D’Avenio, G., Grigioni, M., & Giansanti, D. (2024). Optimizing telehealth: Leveraging Key Performance Indicators for enhanced telehealth and digital healthcare outcomes (Telemechron Study). Healthcare, 12(13), 1319. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131319
Alawiye, T. (2024). The impact of digital technology on healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. E-Health Telecommunication Systems and Networks, 13, 13-22. 10.4236/etsn.2024.132002.
NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices Instructions
Prepare an interprofessional staff update on HIPAA and appropriate social media use in health care.
Introduction
Health care providers today must develop their skills in mitigating risks to their patients and themselves related to patient information. At the same time, they need to be able distinguish between effective and ineffective uses of social media in health care.
This assessment will require you to develop a staff update for an interprofessional team to encourage team members to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of patient information.
Professional Context
Health professionals today are increasingly accountable for the use of protected health information (PHI). Various government and regulatory agencies promote and support privacy and security through a variety of activities. Examples include:
- Meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR).
- Provision of EHR incentive programs through Medicare and Medicaid.
- Enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules.
- Release of educational resources and tools to help providers and hospitals address privacy, security, and confidentiality risks in their practices.
Technological advances, such as the use of social media platforms and applications for patient progress tracking and communication, have provided more access to health information and improved communication between care providers and patients.
At the same time, advances such as these have resulted in more risk for protecting PHI. Nurses typically receive annual training on protecting patient information in their everyday practice. This training usually emphasizes privacy, security, and confidentiality best practices such as:
- Keeping passwords secure.
- Logging out of public computers.
- Sharing patient information only with those directly providing care or who have been granted permission to receive this information.
Today, one of the major risks associated with privacy and confidentiality of patient identity and data relates to social media. Many nurses and other health care providers place themselves at risk when they use social media or other electronic communication systems inappropriately. For example, a Texas nurse was recently terminated for posting patient vaccination information on Facebook. In another case, a New York nurse was terminated for posting an insensitive emergency department photo on her Instagram account.
Health care providers today must develop their skills in mitigating risks to their patients and themselves related to patient information. At the same time, they need to be able distinguish between effective and ineffective uses of social media in health care.
This assessment requires you to develop a staff update for an inter-professional team to encourage team members to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of patient information. Technology has become so commonplace in our lives that organizations are now using it to reach their workforce. Gone are the days of paper flyers on the breakroom wall. Organizations are using intranets, workplace social media, or communications systems like Workplace, Slack, or Teams.
Preparation
As you begin to consider the assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Breach of Protected Health Information (PHI) activity. The activity will support your success with the assessment by creating the opportunity for you to test your knowledge of potential privacy, security, and confidentiality violations of protected health information. The activity is not graded and counts towards course engagement.
To successfully prepare to complete this assessment, complete the following:
- Review the settings presented in the Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF] Download Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF]resource and select one to use as the focus for this assessment.
- Search the Internet for infographics about protecting PHI. These infographics should serve as examples of how to succinctly summarize evidence-based information about protecting the security, privacy, and confidentiality of patient data. Some examples of infographics are provided for you in the reading list Infographics.
- Analyze these infographics and distill them into five or six principles of what makes them effective. As you design your interprofessional staff update, apply these principles. Note: In a staff update, you will not have all the images and graphics that an infographic might contain. Instead, focus your analysis on what makes the messaging effective.
- Select from any of the following options, or a combination of options, as the focus of your interprofessional staff update:
- Social media best practices.
- What not to do: social media.
- Social media risks to patient information.
- Steps to take if a breach occurs.
- Conduct independent research on the topic you have selected in addition to reviewing the suggested resources for this assessment. This information will serve as the source(s) of the information contained in your interprofessional staff update. Consult the BSN Program Library Research Guide for help in identifying scholarly and/or authoritative sources.
Scenario
In this assessment, imagine you are a nurse in one of the health care settings described in the following resource:
- Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF] Download Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF]
Before your shift begins, you scroll through Facebook and notice that a coworker has posted a photo of herself and a patient on Facebook and described how happy she is that her patient is making great progress. You have recently completed your annual continuing education requirements at work and realize this is a breach of your organization’s social media policy. Your organization requires employees to immediately report such breaches to the privacy officer to ensure the post is removed immediately and that the nurse responsible receives appropriate corrective action.
You follow appropriate organizational protocols and report the breach to the privacy officer. The privacy officer takes swift action to remove the post. Due to the severity of the breach, the organization terminates the nurse.
Based on this incident’s severity, your organization has established a task force with two main goals:
- Educate staff on HIPAA and appropriate social media use in health care.
- Prevent confidentiality, security, and privacy breaches.
The task force has been charged with creating a series of interprofessional staff updates on the following topics:
- Social media best practices.
- What not to do: Social media.
- Social media risks to patient information.
- Steps to take if a breach occurs.
Technology has become so commonplace in our lives that organizations are now using it to reach their workforce. Gone are the days of paper flyers on the breakroom wall. Organizations are using intranets, workplace social media, or communications systems like Workplace, Slack, or Teams.
Instructions
First, select one of the health care settings described in the following resource:
- Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF] Download Assessment 02 – Protected Health Information [PDF].
As a nurse in this setting, you are asked to create the content for a staff update. This staff update will be delivered using your organization’s internal communication platform and should be in the form of a social media post and should address one or more of these topics:
- Social media best practices.
- What not. to do: social media.
- Social media risks to patient information.
- Steps to take if a breach occurs.
This assessment is not a traditional essay. It is a staff educational update about PHI. Staff are frequently overwhelmed with required trainings and often click through without learning. To catch the attention of your audience be creative. Create a social media post that delivers the information required in an easy-to-read fashion like an infographic, or a short (under 3 minute) narrated presentation or video where you use your creativity to make the staff update fun and engaging.
The task force has asked team members assigned to the topics to include the following content in their updates in addition to content on their selected topics:
- What is protected health information (PHI)?
- Be sure to include essential HIPAA information.
- What are privacy, security, and confidentiality?
- Describe and provide examples of privacy, security, and confidentiality concerns related to the use of technology in health care.
- Explain the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to safeguard sensitive electronic health information.
- What evidence relating to social media usage and PHI do interprofessional team members need to be aware of? For example:
- What are some examples of nurses being terminated for inappropriate social media use in the United States?
- What types of sanctions have health care organizations imposed on interdisciplinary team members who have violated social media policies?
- What have been the financial penalties assessed against health care organizations for inappropriate social media use?
- What evidence-based strategies have health care organizations employed to prevent or reduce confidentiality, privacy, and security breaches, particularly related to social media usage?
Notes
- Be selective about the content you choose to include. Include need-to-know information. Omit nice-to-know information.
- Many times, people do not read staff updates, do not read them carefully, or do not read them to the end. Ensure your staff update piques staff members’ interest, highlights key points, and is easy to read/view. Avoid overcrowding the update with too much content.
- Also, supply a separate reference page that includes two or three peer-reviewed and one or two non-peer-reviewed resources (for a total of 3–5 resources) to support the staff update content.
Additional Requirements
- Written communication: Ensure the staff update is free from errors that detract from the overall message.
- Submission length: Maximum of two double-spaced content pages or a video under 3 minutes.
- Font and font size: Use Times New Roman, 12-point.
- Citations and references: Provide a separate reference page that includes 2–3 current, peer-reviewed and 1–2 current, non-peer-reviewed in-text citations and references (total of 3–5 resources) that support the staff update’s content. Current means no older than 5 years.
- APA format: Be sure your citations and references adhere to APA format. Consult the Evidence and APA page for an APA refresher.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Describe nurses’ and the interdisciplinary team’s role in informatics with a focus on electronic health information and patient care technology to support decision making.
- Describe the security, privacy, and confidentially laws related to protecting sensitive electronic health information that govern the interdisciplinary team.
- Explain the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to safeguard sensitive electronic health information.
- Competency 2: Implement evidence-based strategies to effectively manage protected health information.
- Identify evidence-based approaches to mitigate risks to patients and health care staff related to sensitive electronic health information.
- Develop a professional, effective staff update that educates interprofessional team members about protecting the security, privacy, and confidentiality of patient data, particularly as it pertains to social media usage.
- Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication to facilitate use of health information and patient care technologies.
- Follow APA style and formatting guidelines for citations and references.
- Create a clear, concise, well-organized, and professional staff update that is generally free from errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
NURS-FPX4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information (PHI): Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices Example
Protected Health Information: Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality Best Practices
Protected Health Information (PHI) refers to any individual patient’s data on health, treatment, or payment that is maintained by a healthcare provider, which could be used to identify the individual (The HIPAA Journal, n.d.). It may include patients’ names, contacts, biometrics, or images. There are various confidentiality laws governing the interdisciplinary team in protecting sensitive PHI, including the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The HIPAA privacy rule sets standards for protecting electronic medical records and personal health information. According to Isola and Khalili (2023), the HITECH Act promotes the adoption of electronic health records, strengthening privacy and security protections under HIPAA.
Privacy, Security, and Confidentiality
Dickerson (2022) defines privacy as the individual patient’s right to control how their health information is collected, used, and shared. Confidentiality means ensuring PHI is only accessed or disclosed to those directly involved in patient care and with appropriate authorization. Security refers to the measures taken by a healthcare organization to maintain patient data privacy and confidentiality, thereby preventing unauthorized access and preventing breaches, data theft, or loss. Examples of security measures include biometric verification and multifactor authentication.
The interprofessional team plays a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive patient information and promoting privacy, confidentiality, and security. Therefore, interdisciplinary collaboration is vital in ensuring all staff are aware of the patient data protection policies and protocols in their institutions and adhere to them. It also ensures that staff work together to protect electronic health information, promoting a culture of accountability and individual responsibility in protecting patient health information.
Evidence-Based Approaches to Mitigate Risks to Sensitive Electronic Health Information
The risks to sensitive electronic health information include unauthorized access, data breaches, loss, or misuse, such as fraud, as well as cybersecurity threats. Different evidence-based strategies exist to reduce risks to sensitive electronic health information. These include end-to-end encryption of health information, staff training, and institutional data protection policies. A study by Alipour et al. (2023) found that encryption of electronic PHI during transmission and storage is effective in preventing information access by unauthorized persons since the data remains unreadable. Additionally, regular training for all interprofessional staff members handling patient data can be used to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities and, consequently, adhere to them, preventing risks to sensitive patient information (Dickerson, 2022).
Social Media Best Practices and What Not to Do
With the increased use of social media in community healthcare contexts and the risks to patient information, all staff should be aware of best practices and what not to do in relation to social media. Best practices for responsible social media use include maintaining professional boundaries, familiarizing yourself with the organization’s social media and privacy policies, reporting any suspected privacy breaches, and refraining from posting patient-identifiable information, especially on personal platforms. The don’ts in social media use for healthcare staff in the community context include never posting about work incidents that could reveal patient information, discussing patient care scenarios that involve patient details, sharing stories about patient conditions or experiences without written consent, or tagging a location on social media.
References
Alipour, J., Mehdipour, Y., Karimi, A., Khorashadizadeh, M., & Akbarpour, M. (2023). Security, confidentiality, privacy and patient safety in the hospital information systems from the users’ perspective: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 175, 105066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105066
Dickerson, J. E. (2022). Privacy, confidentiality, and security of healthcare information. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, 23(11), 740-743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpaic.2022.08.014
The HIPAA Journal. (n.d.). What is Considered PHI under HIPAA? Accessed on April 7, 2025, from https://www.hipaajournal.com/considered-phi-hipaa/