10 Ways Nurses Can Prevent Defamation in Their Practice


Written By: Darby FaubionDarby Faubion RN, BSN, MBA

Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Darby lives in Louisiana and loves exploring the state’s rich culture and history. Darby has a passion for caring for veterans and a special interest in those affected by post-traumatic stress disorder. In her quest to make a difference for veterans, she founded a non-profit called “Operation Battle Buddy.” Read Full Bio »»
RN, BSN, MBA

Nursing is a dynamic field with endless opportunities. Maintaining a respectful, professional work environment is essential to good nursing practice. One thing that can negatively impact nursing practice is defamation. Defamation can have serious ethical and legal consequences. Therefore, it is crucial that every nurse works to prevent it from occurring. If you are a nurse, you may wonder, “How can nurses prevent defamation in their practice?”

In this article, I will share 10 ways nurses can prevent defamation in their practice. By following these guidelines, you can help promote high standards of nursing professionalism, contribute to a positive work environment, and improve patient, professional, and organizational outcomes.



How Can Nurses Prevent Defamation In Their Practice?

(The following are the 10 ways nurses can prevent defamation in their practice.)


WAY #1: Respect Confidentiality

Protecting a patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality is of utmost importance. It not only fosters trusting relationships and maintains the integrity of the healthcare team and environment, but it also protects nurses. By respecting patient confidentiality, you reduce the risk of spreading sensitive or inaccurate information, which could harm someone’s reputation. Protecting patient privacy and confidentiality is one way to uphold ethical standards in nursing and reduce the risk of defamatory events.


WAY #2: Avoid Gossip

Gossip is the act of sharing information that can be harmful to a person’s reputation. The information may be true or false, but the effects are almost always negative. One of the easiest ways nurses can prevent defamation in their practice is by avoiding gossip. By avoiding gossip and focusing on respectful, factual communication, you can uphold high standards of professionalism, which is every nurse’s responsibility.

From experience, I can tell you that nurse leaders look for other nurses with leadership qualities, nurses who are willing to stand up for others. When you avoid gossip, you demonstrate leadership qualities, which could help you move up the ladder of success in your job. Not to mention, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference for someone who may not have been able to stand up for themselves.


WAY #3: Practice Empathy

Empathy in nursing is an emotional reaction that demonstrates our understanding of, or pity towards, our patients. Empathy helps promote respectful interactions and makes it easier for nurses to advocate for patients. It is an essential characteristic of successful nurses that fosters trust and helps establish good nurse-patient relationships. Strong nurse-patient relationships lead to better communication, which reduces the risk of misunderstandings or miscommunication that could lead to defamatory statements.


WAY #4: Maintain Personal Accountability

While you cannot control what others say or do, you do have power over your own decisions and actions. With that in mind, it stands to reason that one way nurses can prevent defamation in their practice is to be personally accountable. Maintaining personal accountability is easy. It simply means taking responsibility for anything you say or do.

As a nurse and having worked as a supervisor and nurse educator, I learned to be aware of people who do not take personal accountability for their actions and to appreciate those who do. There is a substantial difference between people who are personally accountable and those who are not. The behaviors of accountable people are much different than those who do not practice personal accountability. Nurses who do not practice personal and professional accountability increase their risk of being involved with unsavory situations, such as events of defamation. An accountable nurse understands the importance of taking ownership of their behavior and the impact that doing so has on everyone else.


WAY #5: Promote a Supportive Work Environment

Fostering a supportive work environment is another way nurses can prevent defamation in their practice. When we promote a positive workplace atmosphere where team members feel at ease, the chances of miscommunication or negative feedback decrease. All nurses can contribute to a supportive work environment. For instance, demonstrate respect and professionalism, encourage communication between yourself and your team, and promptly seek help from leadership when needed.


WAY #6: Learn Effective Communication

Of all the information and skills you learn as a nurse, the one thing that is most essential is the ability to effectively communicate. Effective communication reduces the risk of misinterpretations, which can lead to the spread of false information. Also, good communication skills allow you to show empathy and respect when talking with patients and colleagues, reducing the risk of conflicts that could otherwise lead to defamatory statements.

As a nurse leader, I often had situations when I needed to help resolve conflicts. Whether there were conflicts between coworkers or between patients and nurses, effective communication was vital to the resolution process. Addressing things through effective communication techniques and with a professional attitude helps calm tense situations and promotes team problem-solving, which can help prevent instances of defamation from occurring.


WAY #7: Always Verify Information

In high school, one of my teachers had our class play a game to demonstrate how information passed from one person to another can easily be misconstrued. She whispered a sentence to one student, who then whispered it to the person next to them. Each student whispered to the person next to them in line. Everything about the statement had changed by the time the message got to the last person. It was a good lesson about how important it is to communicate well and to verify information before sharing it.

Verifying information is an important way that nurses can prevent defamation in their practice. Once you verify information, think carefully about whether the information should be shared with others. If it needs to be shared, make sure you are only sharing with the people who need the information to perform their jobs and provide quality patient care.


WAY #8: Respect Boundaries

Respecting boundaries helps prevent defamation in nursing practice by fostering a culture of professionalism and respect. When you respect the boundaries of your patients and peers, it reduces the chances of making damaging comments about others, minimizes misinterpretations and misunderstandings, and ensures that sensitive information is not disclosed in an inappropriate manner.


WAY #9: Document Carefully!

One of the most important things my nursing instructors ever said was, "If you did not document it, you did not do it." It is important to remember that statement, especially when considering ways nurses can prevent defamation in their practice. Accurately document patient care and any interactions with physicians or other staff relevant to patient care. Documentation is a legal record, and using this tool correctly can help reduce the risk of misunderstandings and decrease the chance of defamation.


WAY #10: Report Misconduct

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard employees say that they did not report an incident because they did not want to be seen as troublemakers. While I can appreciate and understand that feeling, as a leader and manager, I can assure you that your supervisors want to be made aware of situations that could have negative implications for your patients, team, and organization.

If you observe misconduct or defamation by a coworker, I encourage you to talk to your team leader or supervisor. Even if you feel uncomfortable, imagine being the victim of defamation. Wouldn't you want someone to stand up for you?


My Final Thoughts


Defamation poses a significant risk to the nursing profession. It is a serious issue that can cause long-lasting effects, not only on the people who are defamed but the people who commit it, as well. Therefore, nurses should adhere to strict professional practices to help keep defamation from occurring. If you are a nurse who cares about your team and organization, you may have wondered, "How can nurses prevent defamation in their practice?”

There are several key strategies nurses can use to promote good practices. In this article, you learned about 10 ways nurses can prevent defamation in their practice. From following workplace policies to promoting a positive work environment and being involved in professional development, you can protect your reputation and those of your coworkers and the patients in your care. In nursing, avoiding defamation involves maintaining confidentiality and practicing careful communication. By working together, nurses can create safe environments for themselves and their patients, where they protect themselves and others from being defamed.


List Of Sources Used For This Article


1. “Legal Issues Every Nurse Needs to Know About” (University of Texas at Arlington)
2. “What is Empathy in Nursing? (With Examples, Importance, & Challenges)” (nursingprocess.org)
3. “30 Top Therapeutic Communication Techniques in Nursing + How to Use Them” (nursingprocess.org)


Darby Faubion, RN, BSN, MBA
Darby Faubion is a nurse and allied health instructor with over 20 years of clinical experience. Her work history includes clinical experience in pediatrics, mental health, addiction and behavioral disorders, geriatrics, wound management, and communicable disease. Darby has worked in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home health and hospice agencies. Darby also has experience as a nursing and allied health educator at both community college and university levels. Her love for nursing and nursing education led to her becoming a test-taking strategist and NCLEX prep coach.