Family Member Admitted to My Floor. Potential HIPAA?

[Kiroppi]

Hi all,

So I am working in a GI floor. I am currently living with my father who has a history of heart and GI disease. My father has been having back and chest pain that never got better for 2 weeks. Kept trying to tell him to go to the emergency room if it is so bad for him. He decided to go when things got worse for him. They admitted my father due to his history and is only being observed. Due to COVID 19, no visitors are allowed in the emergency room nor my hospital in general. My father is from another country and has a hard time understanding English sometimes; even if he does not understand what is being said to him, he would just smile and nod and say he understands. Anyways, just found out that he is being admitted to the floor I work on. I actually have been texting my charge nurse throughout this whole ordeal, asking her lots of question like if I was allowed to stay with my father since I worked at the hospital (I wasn't allow anyways). I am not working until Tuesday, so I am off duty. My charge nurse told me my father was being admitted to my floor. I trust my coworkers and know he is under good care. After all this worrying about my father, I just started thinking of potential HIPAA violations. Does it count as HIPAA just texting my charge nurse what is going to happen to my father and telling her my father's name and history. Obviously, I am not going to access his patient chart. But I do however, have access to his personal MyChart since my dad just gave me his passwords to look over his test results and stuff like that since he does not understand. Honestly, just one look at our last names and appearance, she would already know he is my father. But I am just wondering and wanted to know your two cents.

Thanks and stay safe

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

Since you are his family member asking about him and giving information is not a HIPAA violation. Just don't access his chart at all and you should be fine. The MyChart portal should be fine since it is limited and he did give you access.