The ANA code of nursing ethics articulates that the nurse "promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient." This includes the protection of patient privacy. On that basis, could you post images of a patient's x-ray on a public online social network if you deleted all patient identifiers?

• A. Yes, allowed if identifiers are removed
• B. No, because even with identifiers removed someone could identify the patient
• C. Yes, if you have patient's consent
• D. No, never share any patient images online under any circumstances

Answer: (B)

Protecting patient privacy is a fundamental nursing responsibility. The ANA Code of Ethics emphasizes safeguarding the health, safety, and rights of patients, including their right to confidentiality. Even if you remove patient identifiers from an X-ray and post it on a public social network, there remains a real risk that someone could identify the patient. A radiograph can be distinctive, and other contextual details (like where and when the image was taken or accompanying information) can enable recognition. Once something is online, control over who sees it and how it’s used is lost, increasing potential harm to the patient and undermining trust. Consent from the patient does not automatically justify sharing images on public platforms, and many ethical and institutional policies discourage or prohibit posting patient images online. For these reasons, posting an inner image of a patient’s X-ray publicly would violate privacy and professional obligations.