Being a patient where you work

[cupcake25]

I was just wondering how many nurses would actually want to be a patient in the same hospital where they work. Recently a nurse I work with was a patient in the hospital where we both work and another nurse was looking up her information in the electronic medical record. I felt what this nurse did was terrible. Sometimes we also have doctor's wives in the hospital and I have seen people looking lab results and other information. What do you think about this?

[racing-mom4, BSN, RN]

I have said before I would not want to be a patient in my hospital for that exact same reason. I have seen staff do that before and it makes me sick.

Once my dear best friend who was in nursing school and doing clinicals at my hospital was actually a pt and I guarded her chart like a dog as I did not want any of her class mates or instructor sneaking a peak.

[tachybradyRN]

Unless those people are directly involved in that nurse's/doctor's wife's care, they have no right or reason to be looking through their information, especially if they plan to discuss it or use it for their own purposes. That is most certainly a HIPAA violation.

[CHATSDALE]

no, i really would not want to but once when i was scheduled for major surgery my insurance would pay for 80% and if i surgery done at other hospital i would have to fork over the other 20% but the hospital would 'forgive' any excess not covered by insurance

money trumped modesty

[jodi_cmsrn]

Have had several surgical procedures at the hospital where I work, and one unrelated inpatient admission. Everyone treated me wonderfully, and I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.

[Kunzieo]

No. I wouldn't want to be a patient where I work.

Not because I am worried about people looking up my medical info...couldn't care less about that.

For 2 reasons:

1. I get really, really, really tired and crabby when I am not feeling well. I'm not rude or abusive to staff, but I am def. not my normal sunshiney self. I'd rather have the people I work with keep thinking that I am nice, not crabby. Plus, since I work night shift, most of the work people who would come visit me would come either really late at night, or first thing in the AM. Two times I'd rather not have visitors. >(

2. The breakfast comes at 645 on my unit...and between 700-745 on all other units at my hospital. If someone comes to wake me up for breakfast before 0800 I would probably kick them! (OK, that reason is silly, but perfectly true! )

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

I would feel safer being cared for by my peers versus some stranger which I would have no idea of how they care for patients. I can then request any of the staff I don't trust to not be assigned to me during my stay. We choose our physicians this way so why not our nurses and aids too?

[Dolce, RN]

I would never want to be a patient at the hospital where I work. Although I am sure I would receive great care I just really prefer to maintain my privacy.

[krenee]

I am a student and I did clinicals on the OB floor - the nurse I was working with was pregnant and going to have her baby there. I can NOT imagine my co-workers seeing me that up close and personal! I know you get desensitized to lady partss and all, but I can't imagine.

Kelly

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

If I'm ever a patient where I work, which I'm going to have to be because that's where my insurance pays, or if I'm in a trauma where they are going to send me, I'm going to look up who looked up my file electronically and get them fired and make a big stink out of it.

It's appalling in this electronic age, nurses, whom are respected as "the most honest profession" can't keep their nose out of their coworkers charts.

I know that people are going to talk, that's just human nature, and coworkers would be concerned, but to violate privacy like that is wrong.

[q12RN]

[/color

i think it's a shame. there is no such thing as privacy!! administration shoves privacy down your throat every chance they get and yet they are the ones who are the worst for breach of confidentiality.

for example: im pregnant. just found out last week. and guess what, everyone in our hospital knows. they are even asking my husband about it, he works there too. people from departments far from mine, who work in medical records. now if thats not alot of bull i don't know what is.

[robinbird]

I was a patient in I the same hospital where I work, when I was diagnosed with MS(multiple sclerosis). I knew it was the best hospital in our region so there was no question that's where I would go when I began having unexplainable, rapidly progressing visual changes in my right eye.

However, I was very worried about a few things:

1. Privacy: I would enounter people during my admission I know and at the time wasn't ready to tell people what was going on. I wasn't so much worried that someone would look at my computer record because as a employee, my chart would be scutinized for breeches of confidentiality.

2. At first, I was worried that my unit managers may find out "unofficially" things I didn't want them to know and it would be used against me and it could effect my job.

I made the decision on my second day of admission to call my unit director and I told her what was going on. They came to visit me and were so supportive. I worried over nothing. They just wanted me to bring a doctor's note when I returned to work clearing me for full duty (or detailing restrictions). I returned to work 2 weeks later and have worked there ever since (for 2 years, so far), with no problems.

I can see, however that many hospitals/units may not be as supportive as mine, so I definately think this is individual decision.

:redbeathe Robin