Reference no: EM133730783

Assignment:

This scenario was heartbreaking and very difficult to watch. It was also frustrating to hear that a minor is expected to have 600 dollars in funds to escape an already difficult situation. Nurses are often placed in complex positions where we have to balance building trust with our patients, all while abiding to legal regulations and laws. Building trust with minors can be especially difficult as adolescents are typically more vulnerable than adults. However, building trust does not necessarily mean keeping secrets for our patients. Before explaining the severity of the situation to the adolescent, nurses should make every effort to help adolescents express their own feelings and reactions about the situation (Butts p. 175, 2023). Althea is in a difficult position where she must respect Jasmine's autonomy but also must report her findings of sexual abuse. Our textbook explains that building trust means being entirely honest and open about our role as mandated reporters from the very beginning, and providing consistency in our roles.

In Jasmine's case, sexual abuse or other abuses fall under the limits of confidentiality. Nurses who work with adolescents must report any encountered cases to the proper officials or healthcare professionals (Butts p. 175, 2023). Althea might navigate her duty to maintain confidentiality by explaining to Jasmine that sexual abuse is an exception to patient confidentiality because her safety is at risk. Althea can explain that patient safety is the number one priority and reporting her findings is what is best for Jasmine's health.

As a Provider, Althea is in an incredibly challenging situation and although the obvious answer is to report Jasmine's case, I imagine that Althea is faced with the challenge of wanting to maintain trust with Jasmine after all that she has been through. Although I do not have experience with working with adolescents, I have taken care of patients in similar situations and it is very difficult to navigate respecting a patient's autonomy while also doing what is best for our patient's. Providing optimal care and building trust with our patients is important, but so is protecting our licenses. I have learned that it is always best to follow the legal rules and regulations that come with our role as Nurses.