Privacy Act and Children and Young People Legislation, Enrolled Nurse Competency Standard for Practice, Professional Boundaries

Answer to Question 3
Privacy Act (Cwlth)
Any information regarding health is considered as personal information. Thus, in
order to provide extra protection to such information, the Privacy Act was passed
in 1988. A health provider is taught to comply with the act and is thus ethically
and legally inclined to not disclose any information of the patients, which can
consist of their medical history, physical and mental condition and even their
genetic information. This act ensures the maintenance of the safety of patients.
The act facilitates how these organisations assemble and handle health
information, and also includes provisions that allow individuals to access their
information (Ahpra.gov.au 2019). The nurses are ethically bound to not leak any
of this information as it would be considered a breach of the patient’s privacy.
Children and young people legislation
Objectives of this legislation promote the development and improvement of
practices concerning the wellbeing of young people and children. The healthcare
providers are compelled to aid in this improvement process. They can help by
educating other healthcare practitioners about the lack of health improvement
services for children and help in providing them with the necessary medications
and healthcare services, either at a reduced rate or free of cost. They can also
organize awareness programs to help young people know the importance of
health maintenance. However, they cannot force young people to use any of the
health facilities and services; it has to be according to their own will. All the
nurses can do is educate them and ensure them that they can always avail their
help.