Bosses teenage daughter allowed to sleep in recovery bay

llg, PhD, RN · Jul 20, 2017

What makes you think it would be a HIPAA violation? Is she sharing patient information with her daughter? HIPAA is about disclosing protected health information inappropriately. As bad as your boss's behavior is, I don't see how it relates to HIPAA.

OhioRN0916 · Jul 20, 2017

I guess maybe I didn't explain enough. Our center has 4 admission bays. And 8 recovery bars. Separated by curtains. We are checking patients in, reviewing past medical history, mess, etc in admissions. So no, she is not giving medical information to her daughter, but her daughter can hear the talking going on with the patients who come into the facility.

I'm just bothered by this behavior. It's unprofessional. And I was just concerned that it is a HIPPA violation.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Jul 20, 2017

Possibly an ethical or even credentialing agency violation/health department violation. It's not a HIPAA violation to have families in a curtained area as no reasonable person expects privacy via curtains. There should be a closed area (such as small office with a door) for exchanging confidential information.

brownbook · Jul 23, 2017

I can see it might be mildly annoying. But not sure why it bothers you so much? Also I don't understand why this teenage girl needs to sleep during the day? Why before appointments? Does she have that many appointments each week, month? Is there some medical reason, illness, this teenager has?

As I said, it is mildly annoying, but I would just shake my head and let it go!

Jolie, BSN · Jul 23, 2017

[quote=OhioRN0916;9514805

We do do not allow family members to be with patients at this point in their surgery due to HIPPA laws...

The others have already answered your question, but this part of your post bothers me. There is no HIPAA regulation that prevents patients from having authorized loved ones present during their care. There are only healthcare providers who either fail to understand HIPAA, or who simply don't want to be bothered with visitors and invoke HIPAA improperly for their own convenience.

OhioRN0916 · Jul 23, 2017

It is not our choice. It is the bosses decision. Mostly because they want to push as many patients through as possible.

rescueninja1987 · Jul 30, 2017

I would just ignore her and go on. And "ignore her" includes I'm not going to tip toe around her or clean up after her. Otherwise unless it's keeping you from taking care of patients I would just let it slide; there may be more extenuating circumstances to this situation than you realize.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Aug 20, 2017

I can imagine that it is super annoying to have to clean up after the daughter. (As someone else said, why does she even have to come here to sleep anyway??)

Regardless, not a HIPAA violation. If a pt can be separated from another pt by only a curtain--and hear that other pt's medical hx, why would it matter if the child hears it?

Sadala, ADN, RN · Oct 25, 2017

We do do not allow family members to be with patients at this point in their surgery due to HIPPA laws but my boss allows her teenage child to lay there and sleep.

I don't really get this. Keep in mind I'm med surg and not recovery, but... I was thinking that family members aren't allowed back during that portion of pt recovery because 1) pts might be unstable and they need close supervision with no distraction and 2) sometimes the behavior/appearance/status of pts immediately post surgery can be upsetting for family. I have never been given to understand that it's because of HIPAA rules.

People in ED's are frequently in bays with only sheets between them WITH their family members, and I dare say more medical info gets bandied about as pts are (ok - typically but not always) awake and coherent enough to answer questions and talk to the nurse about their issues.

How many appts can this girl have? Or if she DOES have a lot of appts, maybe there are medical or psych issues to which you are not privy. Regardless, I guess I personally would be so far into the land of "who cares" about whether or not there is an extra bay in use for sleeping. I'd be more like, "Oh thank God, that will be one bay they can't use for a pt." i.e. one extra pt I won't get. Ha!

It is rude that you have to remake the room after they go but on the other hand it is your BOSS and... Nursing is not my first profession. I guess I've had to take care of many more cumbersome tasks for different bosses in the past.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jan 24, 2018

I guess maybe I didn't explain enough. Our center has 4 admission bays. And 8 recovery bars. Separated by curtains. We are checking patients in, reviewing past medical history, mess, etc in admissions. So no, she is not giving medical information to her daughter, but her daughter can hear the talking going on with the patients who come into the facility.
I'm just bothered by this behavior. It's unprofessional. And I was just concerned that it is a HIPPA violation.

But you aren't concerned that the patients can hear the conversations going on around them where other patients are being asked about their medical histories? If it's a violation for the daughter to hear these convos, it would also be a violation for anyone to hear them.

But no, no violation.

By the way, it's HIPAA, not HIPPA.