I work 35 miles from my home. It's nice because I don't typically run into people I know. A few months ago, my Great Aunt was in the hospital. I didn't know she was there, but a fellow nurse asked me to verify insulin in a room, and it turned out to be hers. She was happy to see me and asked about my kids and my Grandma(they are sisters in law). She said well, tell her I said hi! I told her I can't really do that, but you can call her and let her know that you're here at my hospital! She understood.
Long story short, she bounced back and forth from the ICU to getting transferred to a bigger hospital, to subacute. One day I was charging and was called to a situation in the ICU. (At our hospital when a code, trauma etc happens, the Med/Surg charge also attends to help). The situation was my Great Aunt, back and in terrrrrrrrrible condition. It would not be long for her. I wrestled with this for days. All I wanted to do was call my grandma and tell her about her dear sister in law. My grandma did find out-when the children called her and told her that she had passed.
I have been sick with guilt. I know I am bound. It doesn't make it any easier. Perhaps my grandma could have said goodbye. Instead, now she is the last one standing from the family. HIPAA has always been pretty black and white for me. This is the first time I lived in that shade of grey.
