護理師接到一通自稱是病房某位病人女兒的電話，詢問病人的最新病況。護理師應如何回應以維持保密性？
A nurse receives a phone call from a person claiming to be the daughter of a client on the unit, asking for an update on the client's condition. How should the nurse respond to maintain confidentiality?
- AProvide a brief update since the caller identified herself as a close family member.提供簡短更新，因為來電者自稱為親屬。
- BTransfer the call directly to the client's room so they can speak together.將電話直接轉接至病人房間，以便他們對話。
- CTell the caller that the client's condition is stable and nothing has changed.告訴來電者病人狀況穩定且無變化。
- DAsk the caller to provide the client's unique identification code or password.✓ 正解要求來電者提供病人的獨特識別碼或密碼。
維護病人隱私與機密性（Confidentiality）是護理法律與倫理的核心，在美國主要受 HIPAA 法案規範。即使來電者自稱是直系親屬，護理師也無法透過電話確認其身份。最安全且符合標準作業程序的做法是使用「身份驗證碼」或「密碼系統」。許多醫院會要求病人在入院時設定一個密碼，並告知家人，只有提供正確密碼的人才能獲得病況資訊。直接提供資訊（A, C）違反了隱私權；直接轉接（B）雖然看似避開了責任，但仍可能干擾病人休息或在不自願的情況下被迫揭露病況。護理師必須堅持「未經授權，不予透露」的原則。
Maintaining client privacy and confidentiality is at the core of nursing law and ethics; in the United States this is primarily governed by HIPAA. Even if a caller identifies themselves as an immediate family member, the nurse cannot verify their identity over the phone. The safest and standard approach is to use an identification code or password system. Many hospitals require clients to set a password upon admission and share it with family members; only those providing the correct password may receive condition updates. Directly providing information (A, C) violates privacy rights; directly transferring the call (B) may appear to avoid responsibility but can still disturb the client's rest or force disclosure of the condition against their will. The nurse must adhere to the principle of "no disclosure without authorization."
在美國，HIPAA 法規極其嚴格，醫院通常有非常具體的電話查詢驗證流程。在台灣，受《醫療法》與《個人資料保護法》規範，雖然同樣強調隱私，但在臨床文化中，護理師常因人情壓力或民眾對隱私權觀念的差異，在電話中口頭確認身份後即告知基本病況的情況較為普遍，密碼制在台灣尚未全面普及化。