Mrs. Haliburton's health record had been kept in her home during palliative care. What should the practical nurse do with Mrs. Haliburton's health record after her death?

Mrs. Haliburton's health record had been kept in her home during palliative care. What should the practical nurse do with Mrs. Haliburton's health record after her death?

• A. Take it to the agency that employs the palliative care team.
• B. Leave it with the family.
• C. Put it in a sealed envelope for the physician.
• D. Destroy the record, as it is no longer needed.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that patient health records are owned and controlled by the health-care organization, not by the family or the individual nurse. After Mrs. Haliburton dies, the practical nurse should return the health record to the agency that employs the palliative care team. This keeps the record in the proper custody, ensures confidentiality is maintained, and allows the organization to handle archiving, retention, and any necessary post-death processes (such as death documentation and coordination with the physician). Leaving the record with the family or destroying it would risk privacy breaches and violate retention policies, and placing it in a sealed envelope for the physician bypasses the agency’s established custodial procedures.

The main idea is that patient health records are owned and controlled by the health-care organization, not by the family or the individual nurse. After Mrs. Haliburton dies, the practical nurse should return the health record to the agency that employs the palliative care team. This keeps the record in the proper custody, ensures confidentiality is maintained, and allows the organization to handle archiving, retention, and any necessary post-death processes (such as death documentation and coordination with the physician). Leaving the record with the family or destroying it would risk privacy breaches and violate retention policies, and placing it in a sealed envelope for the physician bypasses the agency’s established custodial procedures.