Can Nursing Students Be Trusted with Patient Information

Information Leadership and Technology

The reluctance of some institutions to issue passwords to nursing students for accessing electronic health records (EHR) comes from concerns about compromising data security. This concern is legitimate, considering the importance of protecting patient data and the risk run in giving nursing students access to that data. Nursing students lack professional experience and awareness, and they might not protect their passwords with the kind of vigilance expected of professionals. At the same time, nursing students need access to EHRs if they are to ever gain professional development. Thus, the concern is valid, but the approach may need to be reconsidered.

Security of patient data in EHR systems is, of course, the most important thing to keep in mind. Privacy of patients could be stolen if end-users are not careful, which could harm patients and lead to legal repercussions for healthcare institutions. Armijo et al. (2009) explain that EHR systems must support privacy and confidentiality for these reasons. Because nursing students are still in training, they might not fully understand the importance of security protocols, which justifies caution (Armijo et al., 2009).

On the other hand, access to EHRs is important for nursing students' clinical education. The American Nurses Association states that practical experience with EHRs helps prepare nursing students for being able to give the level of quality care that will be expected of them in their professional role. Information Technology in the Clinical Setting (2017) shows how point-of-care technologies like EHRs improve the ability of nurses to use patient information efficiently to support patient care outcomes.

Thus, providing supervised access to EHRs under the guidance of experienced practitioners could be one solution. Consistent and clear training on data security and privacy for nursing students could be another. Overall, nursing students are a risk, but they need to know these tools—so the solution is training, support, and oversight.