An ethical question.

[workingforskies]

I work alongside this nurse in a 2 RN ER and to my eyes, she is one of the worst gossips I have ever met. I tolerate her because I have to if I want to continue working here. (And all in all, I really like where I am working so it is usually no big deal.) But a few days ago, I think she really crossed a line and it has stuck in my craw since then. I really want to call her out on it to the point that I want to report her to the state for violation of confidentiality.

A woman came to our ER via EMS who was the sole person in a one car MVA. She had bumps and bruises and a minor head lac. The attending MD ordered his routine labs, among them, an ETOH level. Her ETOH level came back at roughly twice the legal limit.

A police officer was in the ER doing the accident paperwork. As he was leaving, my 'partner' asked him about what he was going to do about her blood alcohol level. His reply was, "What do you mean?" She told him that her B.A.L. was 0.15. His reply was, "Well I guess I am going to have to arrest her for D.U.I. " Upon hearing that, I was absolutely flabbergasted.

I have always felt that as a nurse, my prime role is to be a patient advocate. In NO WAY do I see my role as an agent of the state. Unless I have objective evidence that a patient intends harm, or is a potential threat to themselves or others, any circumstance that brings them to my care is irrelevant and nobody's business save for those directly involved in their care. In that light, I just can't believe what that nurse did to her. I am so upset about this. That nurse could very well have ruined that woman's life from a legal perspective. At the very least, it will cost her about $5,000. How is that being a patient advocate?

Thoughts? Opinions?

[JBudd, MSN]

Around here, the MBAs (medical blood alcohol) are not admissable legally, only a legal blood draw with a PD kit can go to court. She had no right to inform the PD what his lab results are, from a CBC to HIV to anything else. Our officers are careful to bring their kits, and when needed, to get a warrent for a draw.

My state has one of the worst DUI records in the entire country, I hate drunk driving. That doesn't change what my role as a patient's advocate or my legal standing is. If that woman goes to court based on what an officer "heard" instead of what real evidence he has, she'll go free. One of my docs is quite free with telling PD what the MBA is, but it's up to the officers to collect admissable evidence.

[pannie]

It WAS a violation. And the nurse also jeopardized a criminal case against the drunk driver if a truthful testimony is given by the officer. In essence what she's potentially done is put that woman back on the road with no conviction and in the process could lose her own license to practice.

[clee1]

It WAS a violation. And the nurse also jeopardized a criminal case against the drunk driver if a truthful testimony is given by the officer. In essence what she's potentially done is put that woman back on the road with no conviction and in the process could lose her own license to practice.

:yeahthat:

This nurse's actions were wrong on so many levels - even if done for all the "right" reasons.