Are you aware of how you conduct yourself in public?

[rkitty198]

Hello

I was wondering if as nurses, if you are aware of how you conduct yourself in public?

I run into prior patients and family members all of the time, of which I never say hi unless they say hi first due to HIPAA and I live in a pretty large city too.

We work very hard and deserve to go out and have a good time, but I think we need to be careful on how we conduct ourselves. Does anyone else agree?

Case in point:

A nurse who I will call E was out one night. E got totally drunk, knowing he had to work the next day at 7am-7pm. He was at a bar and almost got into a bar brawl with another group of individuals. When E showed up for work he was very hungover. E then went into his patients rooms and found out that one of them was a guy/girl that was involved in the "almost bar brawl" with appendicitis. The patient did not want E to care for him/her, not because of the brawl, but because he knew how drunk E got the night before. The patient went on to tell the story to the nurse that was taking over his/her care and was saying things like "how could E go out and get so drunk the night before he had to work?"

Putting this story aside....

Has anyone changed how they are in public?

Has anyone had a situation in where they ran into a former patient?

[ToxicShock]

What the deuce does has HIPAA have to do with anything? Are you divulging private information by saying "Hi"? "Are you violating privacy when your former patient greets you in the supermarket and exclaims to their family member: "This is the nurse I always told you about! You remember, the one who took such good care of me when I had appendicitis?"

How are you violating HIPAA by asking a former patient "Mr. Smith! So good to see you!! Are you feeling better? Are you doing ok?"

Or upon meeting the family member of a terminaly ill patient "Mrs. Smith. How is Mr. Smith doing? I do hope he's feeling better."

HIPAA doesn't mean "you can't talk about patients, period."

HIPAA simply states you can't talk about patients to "unauthorised" people - e.g. Your mailman, the clerk at your bank, the check out lady at WalMart etc.

Unless said "family member" was on the "unauthorized list" - I fail to see how HIPAA would be a factor.

Conduct ourselves as a "nurse" or as a "human being"?

The former has only so much leeway as to what your professional practice acts say is 'acceptable' for your individual State.

The latter has no bearing on you as a nurse at all...

* E was allowed to work, despite E being 'very hungover'?!!! (emphasis mine)

Did no other staff member spot this when E showed up to work?!!! On a person who was "very hungover"???(emphasis mine)

* The pt. had every right to be concerned about E - brawl or otherwise. Morever, pt. reporting his/her concerns to another nurse was valid as well.

* I don't tell people I'm a nurse.

* If I do tell people I'm a nurse, I usually don't tell them what hospital/unit I'm working at. (e.g. I'd say something like "I work for one of the major hospitals in Illinois")

* As to your question regarding "has anyone changed how they are in public" - I haven't.

Nursing is my profession.

It is not my life.

Yes.

Plenty of times.

I've had my bar tab paid in full, unbeknowst to me; thanks to a greatful patient (who I didn't even recognize. Turns out it was a patient I'd taken care of months ago when she was in for a chole).

I've had the daughter of a former patient (who passed away - may he rest in peace) grab my hands and sob hysterically on her knees as we were in the local supermarket, while she thanked me for the care I provided for her Father while he was under my care.

I've had the family (the Husband) of a patient I took care of many months ago, approach me in a bar. And his way of thanks was to tell the bartender and Manager that I had 'no bills here anymore. Period.' I didn't know till that day that my patient's husband owned the bar! No amount of "it's ok. I was just doing my job" helped....

Not too long ago, I was involved with stabilising a pt. with an acute MI before pt. was shipped over to Cath Lab. I didn't think twice about it at that time ... but his wife made sure I did. No matter how much I tried to say that it was just "part of my job and obligation", she responded in kind.

As a result, anyone working my shift gets a discount at their (pts./wifes) restaurant.

They are but some of the few stories I could tell.

Wonder what part of HIPAA I violated in the process....

cheers,

I didn't read the whole thread, but I just wanted to say well said, Roy!

[RNDreams]

I :redbeathe HIPPA, even the people that are supposed to be endorsing it adminit that they dont exactly know what it is! Love the federal gov. as long as they sign the form thats all that matters!

Ha-ha, I am just making light of this but have worked in about 10 different medical practices myself and I dont even know what it is but a form that people know to sign they have read and adreed to and then there are the ones that want to come up and tlak to me about it becasue it says "if they do not understand or have any questions to see (the front desk, me at the time) and they always ended up signing it but I dont know what it says b/c it is different at every office.

Funny, to me, no offense...

C

[RNKPCE]

My friend was a 25 year old teacher in a high school in a small town and she always felt like she had to be on her best behavior when she went out on the weekends for fear of running into some of her students or their parents.

[dina77]

When I was in my early 20's in the early 80's I had a great time going out with nurse pals.We always managed to get in for work the day after even after only a few hours sleep! There was always doctors parties going on and there was a thriving social club were we would go to Paris, Brussels etc. We had a fabulous time. After we had been out those of us who lived in the nurses home would go to the staff canteen which was open 24hr in those days . The staff would make us crusty rolls with lashings of melted cheese on. Wonderful. Things are different now I enjoy going out with friends for meals and always make sure I'm not working the day after. I do feel sorry for students now a days I don't think it is as fun as it was then. Still they can always go on facebook for entertainment! Oh dear.

[emmalou*]

When I was in my early 20's in the early 80's I had a great time going out with nurse pals.We always managed to get in for work the day after even after only a few hours sleep! There was always doctors parties going on and there was a thriving social club were we would go to Paris, Brussels etc. We had a fabulous time. After we had been out those of us who lived in the nurses home would go to the staff canteen which was open 24hr in those days . The staff would make us crusty rolls with lashings of melted cheese on. Wonderful. Things are different now I enjoy going out with friends for meals and always make sure I'm not working the day after. I do feel sorry for students now a days I don't think it is as fun as it was then. Still they can always go on facebook for entertainment! Oh dear.

Yeah when I was in nursing school/was a new nurse in the 90s I had a blast. There were times when I'd turn up for work after not much sleep the night before etc and everybody lived to tell the tale; backpacking in Europe; sharing a house with lots of crazy people. Those were the times of my life before I had too much responsibility and I don't regret any of it.

I often think, in my 30s now, how PC, uptight and boring everything is now - there are so many rules. I mean I'm all for being healthy, safe and whatever but being young is about having fun, experimenting and living it up before you get bogged down in relationships, mortgages, children and career (all worthy things btw!).

I think you can be a nurse and still have fun, and make mistakes, not always be a perfect little angel and still do your job well. IMO I can relate to people a lot more having life experience than if I'd sat at home studying every night and never taking chances when I was young.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I'm not a big party person, and I don't drink that much. But, I do not define myself by the fact that I'm a nurse. I love my job but it's not my life..Most of my patients have received some sort of medication by the time I talk to them anyway, so I doubt if they recognize me and the OR attire takes care of the rest.

So no, I'm not really aware of how I conduct myself in public..If I'm not on call, or due to be at work anytime soon, I may have that margarita..and I still want the option to hop up on that table and dance on it, if the spirit moves me to do so..

[Debbie G]

My first DON (director of nursing) told each new nurse in orientation we were expected to remove our uniforms and change into street clothes if we planned to go "party" after work. That we shold have pride in our profession and represent the profession well even when off duty.

If I see a patient in the public, I may smile and say hello as I would to a stranger. I do not bring up anything, unless they initiate. Even then I keep it generic- "how are you" not "so, did that thing ever stop draining?" :)

I conduct myself as I would hope my gyn would conduct themselves when they see me in public!

[WoofyMutt80]

this is a perfect example:

boston police charge south shore couple

by patriot ledger staffthe patriot ledger

[color=#999999]posted apr 12, 2009 @ 11:14 am

last update apr 13, 2009 @ 04:56 am

boston-

boston - a south shore couple was charged after becoming aggressive with police after an incident in the south end, police said.

heather brinkman, 33, of braintree and her husband, paul brinkman, 36, of hanover, had been in an altercation with someone in a car at berkeley and washington streets, boston police said.

the two had stepped into traffic shortly before 1:45 a.m. saturday and were banging on the hood of a stopped car, police said.

when the car's occupant stepped out of the vehicle, the couple attacked him, and the three began to fight, police said. the occupant got back into his car and left before police arrived.

police found paul brinkman lying on the corner of the intersection with facial injuries, with his wife standing over him.

when paramedics approached the two to treat his injuries, heather brinkman became aggressive and yelled obscenities, police said. paramedics repeatedly asked her to leave, but she refused and continued yelling, drawing a large crowd of spectators, police said.

heather brinkman was charged with disorderly conduct and threatening to commit a crime, police said.

while being booked, she told officers she was a registered nurse.

"i hope your wives are never on my floor while i'm working," she told officers, according to the police report. "have you ever heard of a code blue?"

while being treated, paul brinkman kicked and punched the officers and paramedics, giving one officer a bloody nose and a split lip, police said.

he was arrested, then taken to boston medical center, where he continued to yell obscenities and spit at hospital staff, according to the police report.

he was charged with assault and battery on a police officer with injuries, two counts of assault and battery on a paramedic and resisting arrest.

[sparketteinok]

My hospital is run by nuns, and we are expected to act like nuns. We are expected to not have a life outside of the hospital, and they have a heart attack if you actually leave on time to get your kids. I guess that's why nuns don't have kids.

[BosNsgStudent]

You mean even patients like Mr. Smith who was my patient in the ER while his wife was up on Tele with a bad case of Afib with RVR? That despite the fact that I worked heaven and earth to try to get the two of them to atleast have roooms assigned on the same floor (can't have a male and female share the same room - against policy)....

By the way, you're "assuming" that I said "Hi" first.

They said, "Hi" first... (and got my name wrong while they were at it but that's ok)

..... but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't 'stare at them with a sense of puzzlement', before they said "Hi".

You're welcome to go ahead and sue me under HIPAA violation, please....

Soo the first part of your response doesn't relate to what I was talking about, at least from what I understand that you're saying...also I did not say anything specifically about HIPAA because I know there are all sorts of legal loop-holes and things that people would point out if I tried to cite the portions of HIPAA that back up my opinion on this...

I was just talking about common sense/courtesy in protecting the privacy of your patients. I was in the hospital a while ago for something that I did not even want people to know that I was in the hospital in the first place; if I ever saw one of my nurses or doctors in public I would expect that they wouldn't acknowledge me unless I went up to them first. Just makes it more comfortable for the person it involves- the patient. (Sorry if this post doesnt make too much sense, I tried to say what I'm thinking, but had a procedure on Monday for which I'm still on pain-killers for:/ )

[edowhitetop]

Before I retired, I had to be particularly careful about client contact in public because I worked at a mental health center and this was widely known. Since I retired, I have moved (from Wisconsin to Florida) and seldom go out in public because of severe vision problems, but if I should accidently meet someone I knew from the center, I would still be careful about how I acknowledged them because my family is not entitled to know that the person was a client at the center. (Accidentally meeting someone far away happens more than you think. My husband ran into his best buddy from Stoughton High School in Wisconsin in a barber shop in Osaka, Japan--and they were not in the same units and neither knew the other was in Japan.)

[zamboni]

I remember a particular family member from back when I worked in home hospice as an aide while I was in school. The pt was a lovely, woman who was dying of cancer. She was funny, beautiful, and leaving far too young. I became rather close to her and her boyfriend of 10 years, who lived with her. He was a big macho East Coaster, ex law enforcement who was simply crushed at losing the love of his life. But I saw something that really stuck out...the poor guy was surrounded by women during this whole ordeal. After I would take care of her, and settle her in for a nap, he and I would catch up on sports or tell war stories from our "street days". Even though I'm a chick, we talked guy talk while I charted...gave him a little break from all the grief and estrogen in his life. I was always the perfect professional, polished and focused, straight and tall. The whole team and family was with her when she passed, we all hugged...and moved on.

A few weeks later, and it's the start of the playoffs. My BF and I both had the weekend off, so we decided to go to our favorite sports bar and watch our team begin their march. We had a hotel room nearby, so neither had to worry about driving, and we were just going to party and let the team's goaltending be the biggest worry in our lives for the night. After a few, the waitress came to our table with two beers that we hadn't ordered and said they were from the gentleman at the bar. We turned to look, and there sits my deceased pt's boyfriend, smiling at us! I simply froze! There I sat, in my stinky hockey sweater (I don't wash it during the season, lest I remove any good karma for the team!), drinking beer, smoking and being generally rowdy with the rest of the fans...not exactly the image I had cultivated while in his home! But he came over to our table, introduced himself to my BF and told him how awesome I had been. Turns out, that this particular bar was where they had met years before, and this was his first night out after she had died. We all spent the rest of the evening cheering, telling stories, crying a little, and laughing a lot.

It was a very special night, and I can honestly say that one of my most touching and important moments in my career was spent with beer bottles littering the table and a cigarette in my hand.