HIPPA Violation and Persecution

[mlgrn1976]

HI all---Am new on this forum and was wondering if anyone could help me. I am an RN in WV. I have been an RN for 6 years now. In all that time, I haven't had any problems/mistakes/errors THANK GOODNESS! But now, I am in a real pickle. I have a verbally/emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend who is threatening to contact the board of nursing and file a complaint against me. The complaint is over his medical record, so hence, a HIPPA violation. He had some tests done at the hospital where I work. He kept hounding me to look in the records for some information. And finally, I did. YES, I know what I did was completely and utterly wrong. But you see, while living with him as I said, he was emotionally abusive. Every day I came home from work he would threaten me until I said one day "OK I will if you leave me alone!!" (I was also in the process of evicting him from my home---big horrible ugly mess). He almost got me fired from work by calling every department head and complaining and also because of my actions of looking in his record. My question is this--Can I lose my license over this? What is the process/actions to responding to complaints? Do I need a lawyer??

Sorry for the long post....................am just sick over this whole thing to the point that I never want to look at another man again!!