Employer told everyone results of my TB test!

[DA314]

I work in a small law office, and I'm taking a CNA class right now, and had to get a TB test. The test came back positive. I hada very small reaction, which wouldn't have required any further testing except that when I become a CNA and then start nursing schoool, I'lll be around people with comprimsed immune systems.

Well, I told my boss (because I have to get a chest x-ray and needed a few hours off), and he told the whole office!!! Everyone knows, and I feel like a leper!

To top it off, his father is a Dr., and today at 2:00 we are having a meeting so the whole office can ask questions about my "disease".

I feel so embarassed and violated. Normally my boss is a very nice person, but he has crossed a line. When he sent the memo about the 2:00 meeting, I had to take a break and go cry. I felt like leaving and never coming back.

What would you do in this situation?

[rjflyn, ASN, RN]

I dont have much more to add. Unfortunately my response as far as the employer goes would be two words- but they are not fit for print.

Rj

[BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I'm assuming that since this testing was done for your class, the employer provided insurance didn't pay for it. The employer learned of the results from the employee and has no access to the medical records. I can't really see this as a HIPAA violation. Sounds like the guys is an uniformed, insensitive jerk,..but not in violation of anything else. Chalk it down as a lesson learned and keep your private health information private from now on. Sorry this whole thing has upset you,..but you know that a positive Tb test doesn't mean you have active Tb. The guy doesn't know what he's talking about and has made a big deal out of nothing. Move on and don't share anything else with him if you don't want the whole office knowing about it!

[GOMER42]

Although you rightly feel violated, what did you really expect would happen when you pretty much said:

"Hi, I need the afternoon off because I tested positive for a highly communicable infectious disease."

??

It is not the staffs' fault for throwing into hysterics. You threw the TB card on the table. They don't understand TB, so take this as an opportunity to teach them.

And take this as an opportunity to consider keeping requests at a minimum for detail unless the situation warrants elaboration.

[MissKitty21]

Go to the meeting. Tell them that it's good that you have antibodies against TB.

It isn't a 'good thing' to have a positive TB test. Although it may signify antibodies, it generally signifies antibodies because you have latent disease which requires 6 months of treatment.

There are only two routes to acquiring antibodies- vaccination and infection and I have an inkling she didn't acquire it through vaccination. So although she may not be contagious, she more than likely has latent disease.

[AmaurosisFugax]

I don't know why people are being so critical of this boss. Apart from the HIPAA issue (which I doubt, we often hear so-&-so called in sick, has a bad cold), he is a lawyer, not a healthcare worker or a scientist, all he heard was a positive skin TB test, was unlikely to be familiar with PPD, so he was concerned. How many nurses may know the details of patent law for instance? And even medical/scientific professionals have misconceptions about things they may not be familiar with.

Many educated people not familiar with medical issues have misconceptions. Like cancer=death. Or vasectomy=impotence. Or antibiotics are good for any infection, bacterial or viral or fungal. And the media doesn't help either - people hear words like cloning, frankenfood, radon in the basement & often overreact. And how many times we have seen on TV coma pts. waking up & walking out, or chemo pts. vomiting incesssantly until they smoke pot (despite there being very good antiemetics these days). Is it surprising people are misinformed? Rather than calling them ignorant jerks, it is a great opportunity to educate.

Let me add even though I have a little education in biomedical science, I had my misconceptions too. Just a few examples:

I thought a little bubble in the IV line would give kill me by air embolism (I'm sure many nurses are laughing already:wink2:). Or that cancer will be symptomatic at the earliest stages (boy was I wrong!). Or that fibromyalgia is a fictitious dz (OK, I still need convincing on that one), anyway the bottom line is, ridiculing a person's understandable lack of knowledge about a rather complicated medical issue by healthcare professionals seems rather uncalled for.

[oslogirl]

Sue that ignorant SOB.

[MissKitty21]

Sue that ignorant SOB.

You can't sue people for being inconsiderate.

[DA314]

Gomer - the conversation went more like this:

My appt. with the Dr. is going to take a little longer than I expected.

Boss: why?

Me: My TB test was positive and they need to do a chest x-ray to make sure everything's ok. The Dr. said it probably isn't anything to worry about, but they just need to make sure, since I'm giong to be working in health care soon.

Boss: Ok, let me know.

He immediately hung up and called his physician father, who told him there is nothing to worry about. It should have stopped there. He should not have told the rest of the office, and he should not have had the meeting.

[RNAnnjeh, MSN, CNS]

Thanks for the clarification.

[justme1972]

The problem is, he's an attorney, not a physician, therefore what he did was rude, nasty and unethical, but most likely, not illegal.

I probably would have told him that I needed to have a lab run, but no way would I have told him the exact reason.

That just goes for life in general. An employer doesn't need to know everything.

I would also be looking for another job. I personally cannot work for someone that I have no respect for and if that doesn't do it, I don't know what would.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

You can't sue people for being inconsiderate.

Sure you can, MissKitty. You can sue anyone for any reason.

Do you recall that idiot that put the hot coffee between their legs at a McDonald's drive thru and got burned. That person sued McDonalds for the injuries AND WON..quite a chunk of change.

That person sued someone else because THEY were an idiot and won! And now because of that lawsuit, every beverage container that holds a hot beverage has that "CAUTION, contents in this container can be hot"..well no du! Thanks for that bit of info. You can thank all the idiots that sued someone for something they really should't have been sued for, for all the red lettered warnings on everything.."caution, do not use this ELECTRICAL appliance in the tub, do not submerge in water..." and all the other idiotic warnings that are out there..that are there because someone sued someone.

Now, that being said, yes, you can sue anyone for anything. But that doesn't mean you will win.

[mcubed45]

Sure you can, MissKitty. You can sue anyone for any reason.

Do you recall that idiot that put the hot coffee between their legs at a McDonald's drive thru and got burned. That person sued McDonalds for the injuries AND WON..quite a chunk of change.

actually that lawsuit was based on the fact that mcdonalds was holding their coffee at an unsafe temperature (185*F) and had made no effort to address many previous issues of customers suffering scalding burns. the woman suffered third degree burns to much of her body and was hospitalized for a week. it was determined that there was no legitimate purpose for keeping the coffee at such an unsafe temperature.

it wasn't a simple issue of a stupid person not knowing coffee is hot. it was an issue of mcdonald's serving coffee at a dangerous temperature (capable of causing 3rd degree burns within seconds of contact) and making no effort to warn consumers of the danger. not as frivolous as some would like you to think...