Family Asks Me About Clinicals

[AlmostThere19, BSN, RN]

I am a nursing student, and my family often asks me about my clinicals and the things I get to do there. How much can I tell them without violating HIPAA?

[Sour Lemon]

What do your instructors say? There should be a really long and really boring policy somewhere that you can read.

[kakamegamama]

What Sour Lemon said.

If you say anything, remember you can't name the patient, discuss the condition, anything that would identify the patient. So really, you can't say much at all. But be SURE to find your school's policy. Some students have been kicked out of nursing programs for violating HIPAA, and hospitals will kick you out of clinical.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Here are a couple of good go-tos

1. In clinical today we focused on learning medications. I learned about some antibiotics today.

2. I have been practicing listening to breath sounds and heart sounds, today in clinical I was able to identify speciic breath sounds. Plus, I was even able to document it appropriately.

3. Today in clinical I had to give a bed-bath, and I learned the importance of body mechanics as we turned the patient and changed the sheets

4. Wow! Today in clinical I had three patients and I learned the steps to discharge process.

5. Depending o your unit... I was able to help the nurse with discharge education on... whatever general information - i.e medications, self care.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Here are a couple of good go-tos

1. In clinical today we focused on learning medications. I learned about some antibiotics today.

2. I have been practicing listening to breath sounds and heart sounds, today in clinical I was able to identify speciic breath sounds. Plus, I was even able to document it appropriately.

3. Today in clinical I had to give a bed-bath, and I learned the importance of body mechanics as we turned the patient and changed the sheets

4. Wow! Today in clinical I had three patients and I learned the steps to discharge process.

5. Depending o your unit... I was able to help the nurse with discharge education on... whatever general information - i.e medications, self care.

Perfect answers! And practice discussing HIPAA and why it is important to you AND to your patients.

[Kitiger, RN]

My family has stopped asking me because they always get a version of the same answer; "I can't talk about my patients because they have the right to privacy. For the same reason, I wouldn't tell YOUR business to them."

If your family members are curious about your patients, you should be upfront about HIPAA.

If your family just wants to know about what you're learning, RNNPICU gave some great examples.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

My family has stopped asking me because they always get a version of the same answer; "I can't talk about my patients because they have the right to privacy. For the same reason, I wouldn't tell YOUR business to them."

While I like this example, I might go a bit gentler at first...go with some lines RNNPICU suggested. If that family/friend is going to be pushy and want examples, then I would get a little crustier with the "I wouldn't discuss your business" line.