Just today I was on another BBS which has a forum dealing with Infertility and Adoption Issues>. One of the participants, who is doing a private adoption, advocated the method of going to an L&D floor and just asking the nurses if they currently had any patients who are planning or willing to give their baby up for adoption. He said that he did that with his wife and said that in the hospital he did that, the nurses gave him many leads. He went on to say that he tried it at several other hospitals in small towns in Kansas.
When I found this out, my jaw just about hit the floor, and I furiously typed to all those who aren't in nursing or the medical field that this is NOT the way to get information on adopting a new baby. I told this forum that for a nurse to give away information like that was a direct violation of HIPAA, and that if it was discovered, that the baby could be removed from the home.
The other poster said that I was in the wrong and that the nurses advocated doing the same at other hospitals. I did receive mail from a friend of mine on this other BBS saying that this person is probably "communicating via his anal sphincter" (if you need a translation, ask me
) and that this probably did not happen. She does not believe that the nurses told him to do that, and I can not fathom that an L&D nurse would violate HIPAA like that. I said that those working in L&D like their jobs, that competition to work OB is rather intense, they wouldn't violate HIPAA and lose a coveted spot in L&D.
This person turned on me and told me that this happens "all the time." That nurses give out information about babies who will be adopted out, and that this inside information will help them in getting that newborn baby. After I picked up my jaw a second time, I reminded him about HIPAA, and for some reason, HIPAA was not discussed and that prospective parents should just go on the floor if the nurses are not busy and just ask. If they are busy, then they should hit the cafeteria, smoke areas, etc., that someone is always ready to talk.
I was pretty livid at this point that he was spreading this inside info like gospel. I told the forum that occasionally we do get "cold calls" to the floor from prospective patients inquiring if we knew of any babies who could be adopted. I told the forum that all we could LEGALLY do was to say we can't give out information like that, possibly pass the phone call on to the nurse manager (if she's available) and she'd give name of various agencies around town.
Forgive me that this is getting rather long, but I guess I need to get this off my chest and ask, how often do you all get "cold calls" concerning leads on possible adoptions? How do you handle them? I'm pretty sure that I'm right that it would be a HIPAA violation if a nurse gave out info on potential adoptions which might be taken place. I told him our policy on adoptions, that pts are placed in the hospital system under "No Report" or "No Shows" so not even their name is visible on ANYTHING. Baby is usually not allowed to leave the nursery until a foster parent picks them up and a social worker is on the case IMMEDIATELY, if not sooner.
One of his responses was "a teenager would love it if someone would come in a 'take over' so they could get on with their lives. A nurse would be doing them a great favor by saying that so and so is adopting." This is not exact works but that's the exact sentiment.
Thanks so much for reading! I appreciate it and I just needed to get this off my chest to people who understand that it's NOT OK to just go up to an OB floor and see who's adopting out their kids that day... thanks for listening. If I'm wrong, maybe someone could enlighten me if this is not an outright violation of HIPAA policy.
Kat
Would you like to comment?
