Can anyone pls help?

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Just found out that my friend is keeping large volume of empty unused syringes from the hospital that we are currently working with pt.' s label attached along with her initial. Can she loose her license? I believe its violating HIPPA right?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Um .... is there a reason she's hoarding syringes?

Many facilities have policies about patient labels (for example, at my hospital we black out or cover patient information before putting used med containers in the bin). This sounds like a violation of patient privacy, but you should find out (or already know, really) what your hospital's specific guidelines are.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Your "friend" has issues. Violating HIPAA is likely the least of his/her problems. Don't know how to help you or your friend.

Wondering why you chose an Internet forum for nurses to ask for help?

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Just found out that my friend is keeping large volume of empty unused syringes from the hospital that we are currently working with pt.' s label attached along with her initial. Can she loose her license? I believe its violating HIPPA right?

Where is your friend keeping the syringes? In her hospital locker? Her car? Her home? What's a large volume? And how do you know that the syringes are unused? Are they still in their original packaging/wrapping with a label with the patient's name and her initials on the outside?

Have you talked to your friend about this? Does she do anything else that's odd or behave out of the ordinary? If you genuinely want to help your friend, I think that you need to address this in real life instead of on the internet. Depending on the cause of her syringe hoarding there might also be an issue of patient's safety the mix. We don't know enough to be able offer proper advice.

I agree with previous posters, the potential HIPAA violation doesn't seem to be her primary problem.

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Why are there patient labels on empty unused syringes?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Did your "friend" state that those syringes were unused???

Forget HIPAA...what's REALLY going on???

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Thank u for the reply, went over to her house for dinner but accidentaly found 3 bags of syringes under the sink while I was looking for a trash bag. I have no idea how to approach her about it. Im afraid that she is violating some kind of rules and might get in trouble for it.

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I was too scared to ask not sure how to put my words together.

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Specializes in Cath/EP lab, CCU, Cardiac stepdown.

At first I jumped to diverting as a conclusion but now I'm wondering if this person is taking unused syringes and putting the patients label of those that's she's taking care of onto the syringe as some sort of memorabilia of all her patients in her career. Still wrong.

Otherwise I wouldn't know why there would be a label on an empty unused syringe. If it's empty and had a label on it, I would think it's a used syringe. Then in that case, sounds like diverting to me.

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You should tell someone. If not, you may go down with her..

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I was too scared to ask not sure how to put my words together.

Try "Jane- Why do you have all these syringes?"

Of course, only call her Jane if that is her name.

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Does she have a pet that might need insulin? My first though was at the diversion or illegal use, but ????

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