Bedside Reporting: HIPPA Violation?

rnccf2007, BSN, RN · May 12, 2015

And just an afterthought. Who has been advocating for bed-side reporting? JC...sounded better as JACHO---a bunch of "d" asses who have never worked the floor or have not done it in years. Yet they dictate how we give better/proper nursing care with less and less staffing...and management who sells their souls to the devil. I would like one of these people to walk in my shoes (or my fellow nurses). WHY??? is JC not concerned with short staffing issues that jeopardize our patient's safety and our own? How much research needs to show that (common sense)---$$$$. Bedside reporting? Please. No wonder that nursing will never be recognized as a profession. And to those nurses who chose to be sheep that follow the herd...Good luck to you. Maybe having men in the "profession" will help. Did a lot of soul searching when looking for a new "profession" to pursue a Masters. A few days on this website and I knew...God answered my prayers! To all great nurses...I love you!

klone, MSN, RN · May 12, 2015

And to those nurses who chose to be sheep that follow the herd...Good luck to you. Maybe having men in the "profession" will help.

And....you just lost me.

I was actually going to give a thoughtful response complete with research. And then I read the statement above. Not worth my time.

rnccf2007, BSN, RN · May 12, 2015

Don't care if I did. Leaving nursing.

rnccf2007, BSN, RN · May 12, 2015

And if you don't understand this, a lot of new nurses do and it makes me sad.

rnccf2007, BSN, RN · May 12, 2015

Men don't usually display the passive-aggressive personality traits that are common in women in nursing which leads to bullying and the so called "nurses eat their young" ...and their old." Lot of research done on it...wrote two papers and did a PP on this subject.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 12, 2015

So far it's been my experience that some idiot in charge will decide something like this is important, jump up everyone's butts for a while, and then forget about it and move on to their next thing.
It'll either fizzle out, or people will just start doing "bedside" report outside the room and then walking in together for a second.

Exactly! That's how we got around it from the get-go.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 28, 2015

I agree with you -- it's not a HIPAA vio, but def. a dignity issue. I'd do your bedside report sans "sensitive" information (e.g. STIs, chemical health, mental health dx, etc) and then address those after the "real" report. If any of TPTB say anything about this not being the correct way, I'd be very clear that you will NOT be disclosing that info in front of the roommate and guests.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 28, 2015

Hi Everyone:
A trend that comes and goes (I am seeing a new resurgence) is bedside reporting. I am on the fence with this practice (leaning towards don't agree). Let me tell you why. At this time, I work at two different hospitals on tele floors with semi-private rooms (two patients per room) and one with private rooms. The tele units with semi-private rooms at both hospitals are now initiating bedside reporting. We are required to give full report at the bedside. This includes ALL of the shift report.... the patient's condition, past medical history, level of function, etc. Personally, I think that this is a HIPPA violation as well as a dignity issue. You can pull the curtains...but the other patient hears (in addition to any family members or visitors). I was trying to write this and combine dignity and HIPPA issues related to this practice, but my post would be too long. As far as HIPPA (and dignity), I brought this hypothetical question up at work the other morning..."What happens if Johnny A (and/or his family or visitors) find out that Johnny B is Hep C and HIV positive after hearing bedside report? What happens if this information is spread to others in the community...it can easily happen! I was looked at as if I had grown two heads.
I would like to hear what other nurses think about bedside reporting and their experiences. Thank you.

It's not a HIPAA violation because there is an exception for semi-private rooms.

However, you hit the nail on the head when you say it is a dignity issue. If there is another option to keep the patient's privacy, that option needs to be utilized.

I would refuse to do it.

Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM · May 28, 2015

And just an afterthought. Who has been advocating for bed-side reporting? JC...sounded better as JACHO---a bunch of "d" asses who have never worked the floor or have not done it in years. Yet they dictate how we give better/proper nursing care with less and less staffing...and management who sells their souls to the devil. I would like one of these people to walk in my shoes (or my fellow nurses). WHY??? is JC not concerned with short staffing issues that jeopardize our patient's safety and our own? How much research needs to show that (common sense)---$$$$. Bedside reporting? Please. No wonder that nursing will never be recognized as a profession. And to those nurses who chose to be sheep that follow the herd...Good luck to you. Maybe having men in the "profession" will help. Did a lot of soul searching when looking for a new "profession" to pursue a Masters. A few days on this website and I knew...God answered my prayers! To all great nurses...I love you!

I think it would be best if you found another profession.

Research (assuming you ever took a class in it....you don't appear to have had one), shows that bedside reporting is best. The purpose in it is not to satisfy a JC requirement, the purpose is to keep the patient and family involved in the care process and evidence does show that it improves patient care.

You would have had a valid argument if you stuck to the dignity angle, but it looks like you took the low road.