How is patient privacy protected in Florida nursing practice?

• A. HIPAA does not apply to Florida nurses.
• B. Privacy protections are entirely at the discretion of the facility with no legal requirement.
• C. Privacy protections require sharing patient information with family members.
• D. Nurses must protect patient privacy under HIPAA and state privacy laws, sharing information only as permitted by law or with consent.

Answer: (D)

Patient privacy in Florida nursing is protected by HIPAA and Florida privacy laws, so nurses must safeguard health information and share it only when the law allows or when the patient has given consent. In practice, this means sharing with the care team for treatment, complying with disclosures required by law (such as certain public health reporting), or sharing with individuals the patient has authorized. Nurses also protect privacy by using secure systems, avoiding private conversations in public areas, and disclosing only the minimum necessary information.

HIPAA does apply to Florida nurses, and privacy protections aren’t merely at a facility’s discretion. Information isn’t automatically shared with family members; consent or a lawful exception is required unless the law permits disclosure without consent.