A nurse loves photography and takes a picture of a coworker walking a patient. What best describes the actions?

• A. He violated the patient's right to privacy
• B. He failed to get proper medical clearance
• C. He performed an act of nursing malpractice
• D. He legally obtained a realistic picture

Answer: (A)

Protecting patient privacy and confidentiality is a fundamental duty in nursing. A photo taken of a patient during care, even if a coworker is visible or involved, can reveal the patient’s identity and private health information. Without the patient’s informed consent and a legitimate, policy-approved purpose, capturing and potentially sharing that image breaches confidentiality and the patient’s right to privacy. This is the core issue: the action describes violating the patient’s right to privacy. It isn’t about lacking medical clearance, nor is it necessarily malpractice unless harm and a deviation from standard care occurred, and it isn’t simply a legally obtained image if consent or proper policy wasn’t followed.