Code words

[Vespertinas]

...used during shift report.

High five = HIV

I'll even go as far as to say indigent is code for homeless because it's a euphemism passerby might not pick up on

What others?

[NicuGal, MSN, RN]

Nope, not illegal. It is her private health history, but a lot of the time it comes out when we put the baby on AZT.

[criticalRN10]

Internet threads and humor go together like a morbidly obese patient and an apple. They just don't mix.

OP I understand what you were trying to do here. It's just most of the world likes arguing more than laughing.

^....exactly what I was thinking.

[Working2beRN2014]

Having done a few clinicals at a facility that has non private rooms, I find report is given behind the nurses station in hushed tones or in a staff only break room. At my facility that I work we practice bedside rounding for both PCT's and RN's, the rooms are private so this keep information private as well. As for codes... code brown is a bomb threat. The only thing I have heard a fellow PCT use as far as code, was "Walkie-Talkie" this meant the patient is independent, up on their own with NO assist and mentally competent. I don't personally use that term but then I just say independent, 1 assist, 2 assist, or total (care). We do use acronyms however to refer to some things such as Altered Mental Status (AMS).

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

I realize the intention (seems) to have been humor initially.

I will say, when I worked the floor, we did bedside report and chart checks with the oncoming and ongoing staff. The caveat to it was if there were visitors in either A or B bed when we were trying to give report we had to either - have all non-patient parties leave, or conduct report away from the patients. Our facility also gave us the discretion to decide that certain things, certain patients - it was no a good idea to give all of report at the bedside. Some family situations (esp in the case of the HCPOA v siblings war over things re: their elderly dying parents) and/or patients just would not be a good feel for "full report" at bedside. So we would give partial report at the bedside and have finished it at the nurses station or somewhere away from prying ears. This was ESPECIALLY true of test results pending discussion with patient/family (we had a lot of patients biopsied for very aggressive forms of cancer - and were basically handed a death sentence) or of super sensitive things (STD/STIs, HIV/AIDs, Hep, domestic violence, suspected elder abuse/abuse of any kind, etc).

I think a code word for things like HIV is not really professional (the 1234 thing makes sense, but I think discretion with surroundings makes more sense). There are non-spoken ways of communicating. Scrap of paper with no identifying patient information - just write the letters? And then shred the paper for good measure?

[Vespertinas]

Really, I was hoping someone would remind me of the one I'm thinking of but can't remember. It was another HIV one. If you think high-five is unprofessional wait until I ask an old co-worker what it was... it was like a three-word phrase whose acronym would spell out HIV. Something like Happy in Vegas... lol.

If it ruffles your feathers, I won't take it that personally because I didn't come up with these myself, I didn't use them myself, and I worked at this place for 6 months. The point is, I'm just sharing a quirk that I found interesting. If you're upset by it, I'll take that to mean that you've found it "interesting" too!

[Vespertinas]

Oh here's one! This patient needs some "pillow love"

[miasmom]

5 star......A wannabe prince or princess. Thinks the are at 700$ night hotel. I realize healthcare is not cheap. I would expect to be treated with caring at rate hospitals are charging. I am here to help you, and other too. I will do my best to make sure you are better or comfortable. Sometimes that is the best I can do. I am sorry if pain meds are 5 minutes late, I was straddling 500 pounds giving chest compressions.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Oh here's one! This patient needs some "pillow love"

My old boss actually used to use the term, "Pillow talk therapy."

[LandD_RN_chica]

FLK in the nursery Funny looking kid.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Actually, diagnoses related to sexually transmitted disease, psych, or substance abuse are all protected under a separate category for privacy. When I need to get a patient signature for medical records to review on a case, my release has to specify that those are to be included. Since you mention it.

True, but as far as the situation in the original post, she was referring to visitors walking by in which case they're no more entitled to know if someone has cancer or HIV. Should we create code words for those things too? Or should we be okay with violating HIPAA, but only if its a diagnosis we view as not embarrassing?

I merely added this as an aside, not in reference to the actual problem of bedside report, just so people could learn that in fact there is a difference in handing PHI between cancer, say, and HIV. Thanks.

HIPAA does not mandate private rooms and completely understands the idea that curtains are not soundproof. It asks that we do our best to maintain some privacy given the vicissitudes of hospital construction. In the case that there are other (alert) ears within the sound of PHI, including visitors and the housekeeping lady, I think jargon and "code words," if and only if accurately understood by all who need to know, are a decent work-around.

[ReinventingMyselfAgain, MSN, RN]

Internet threads and humor go together like a morbidly obese patient and an apple. They just don't mix.

OP I understand what you were trying to do here. It's just most of the world likes arguing more than laughing.

Perfectly stated. This is a tough crowd!

Anyone who has worked in more than one hospital (or have been to nursing school, at more than one clinical facility) knows that space for anything is at a premium. There is no way that one can speak privately all the time. In a perfect world, this would be the case. But it's not.

I remember years ago, a nurse gave me report, and she said (after giving me the nursing info), that he's a little "WT". I looked at her very confused. And she said "White trash". Note, I've never heard it, or used it again.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Urban outdoorsman - homeless

Practicing hillbilly chemistry - blew himself up making meth