So, a record was sent today at my facility...three people out to the ED! I am exausted (I work in an assisted living facility..the only nurse for 160 residents).
But one was a real doozie...the kind of patient you see and say "oh *&^$" yet get very excited about...not a good combo for an paramedic trained gal like myself! In five minutes...my client went from "honey, I can't breathe well" to gasping breaths at 4 pm at best! WOW, they say these things happen quick..I forgot how quick! So I got her into position with my care givers and kept her breathing till paramedics arrived. She had a pulse, 40 strong, but wasn't breathing well on her own, bag valve mask and some pacing brought her back to a normal pulse and some spontanious breaths...and off she went code three to the closest hospital. She was a DNR as we found out, but she had a pulse and was spontanously breathing so I don't consider it recusitation and neither did the paramedics. (In fact the family was shocked she was a DNR..they didn't know! But the client did ask for paramedics right away...so that tells me she wanted help. She is very independant, does her own meds, walks..the whole thing..so it shocked me too!).
Anyway...so I get a phone call from the ER...asking me several questions about her normal status, diagnosis, eating habits..you name it! 20 questions I call it, and I was more than happy to answer every one of them! Then, I asked ONE...how is my resident doing?
The ER nurse said "I am sorry, but that is confidential information and I can't tell you her status". Okay, I stayed poliete but you could have heard a bit of frustration in my voice! "Okay, well I just answered several questions to help you take care of our resident, and I asked ONE...I guess I have breached her confidentiality, and will turn myself into the state board, please disregard any said information." The nurse sighed, appologized and said..."ummmm not well" and I said "thank you, that is all I needed to know...I hope I was of help, any other questions please feel free to call back!" (I said this honestly and polietly!).
Oh man! I got off the phone and just laughed! Wow...I really do think facilites and even us medics don't really understand hippa all that well huh?
Normally I think of having to protect patients rights to confidentialty with people other than medics (even though I have dealt with many probelms just getting info from the ED about a returning patient), but wow...this one was just plain silly!
What have you all experienced with medic to medic probelms via hippa? I am sure there are some doozies out there!
