cameras

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Has anyone ever worked with a patient that had hidden cameras in their room????has anyone ever heard of a situation like that???Is that even allowed???If you have was it uncomfortable not because you were doing anything wrong, but just uncomfortable in the sense that you knew someone was watching you???

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I worked on a case one time where I was not told about the camera in the room. One night I was looking in that direction for some reason and there it was hidden amongst the stuffed toys. The mother was a paranoid shrill so it was no wonder that she would hide the camera and not mention a word about it.

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Specializes in Home Care.

Isn't that illegal?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Onc, LTAC.

We were talking about this the other day at work actually... Some at work think at some point in the future it will be the norm to have cameras in each room, but I'm not so sure about that!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

If you're doing care in someone home.... I don't know... they have that right IMHO. At a work placing a camera? I'd be having a long sit down about WHY there is a lack of trust.

In home care, the turn around of employees can be fast, so sure I'd be ok with that, my care is solid... and these people don't know me, nor would I trust others in my house or taking care of my family. So I can see it in my home, but NOT at a hospital.

Many will disagree with that and I respect that. Best yet is a home employer that states... "you maybe filmed" and be upfront about their discomfort.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Hospice.

I used to do private duty and one of my clients had a camera in the pts room. They never mentioned anything about it, but I just happened to notice it one day on a shelf above the TV. When I saw it, I looked right at it....smiled and starting waving.

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If it's a home care situation, it could just be part of a security system. If it's in a hospital or residential care, that would for sure be a different situation. I remember one hospital I was in in school had a policy (I was on an OB floor, but I think it was a house wide policy) that you couldn't film staff during procedures. On my floor, there's a trouble-maker patient that has often audio (maybe video) recorded staff without their prior knowledge. Seems to me that if it's not illegal, would be frowned upon by policy.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Well, I'd have to think that in a hospital, at least, it would definitely be crossing some lines as far as HIPAA goes if it is not a single room. Even if the camera couldn't see the other patient, it would still be able to record private audio, so I would think it would be a no-no.

If a patient is that uncomfortable (in a hospital setting) with the staff, they have issues they need to discuss with the supervisor and should really consider a transfer to another hospital.

In a home setting, well, that is their home. It doesn't seem inappropriate for a parent of a child in care or a child of an elderly parent in care- I didn't even leave my kid with a babysitter until she was seven.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Oh, wanted to add that if it is for any reason other than ensuring quality of care, that's just plain scary.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I walked in a pedi room one night for the first time, and CLICK! Mom took a picture of me then demanded I sign my name into her log. I refused and told her my name was in the medical chart and that was all I legally obligated to sign. As for the picture, I had rights too and did not give her permission to use the picture in any way. I then said we need to talk about trust issues, since both of us were on the "same side". She was PO'd but we managed to get thru the night.

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Yes, I have heard of a camera hidden in a LTC facility room. The daughter of a resident suspected abuse and it was confirmed. The staff was depriving the resident of food (eating her food off her tray and eating it in front of her) and handling her very rough. Very sad story about how she was treated.

See story here:

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/13241/nursing-home-abuse-elder-care-neglect-5.html

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Specializes in Peds, PACU, ICU, ER, OB, MED-Surg,.

Way back when we had a camera set up in a private room. This room was used for abuse cases, or "munchy" parents. We all felt it was an invasion of privacy even in these cases. Consent was signed if it was ever used. Eventually the camera was taken out.

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