Following up with a patient who is transferred to another facility -- Kosher or not?

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From time to time, I meet patients who have no one, or very few loved ones or encouragement. When they get transferred to another facility I am tempted to visit them, just to bring some TLC and fellowship to them. I haven't done this very often, since I'm too busy and since, for reasons of self-care, I feel it's best for the folks at the new place to care for them. Do any of you ever follow up and visit your patients if they go on to a new facility? Do you find any ethical conflict with this?

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Not Kosha

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Yes I think and wonder about former pts, and I genuinely hope they are doing well.

But no, I don't ever visit them. I was never their loved one, even if they are estranged from their family; our relationships are professional.

I would be concerned about undermining the nurse-pt relationships at the new facility. (quick story: A while back, a pt who had transferred from our unit to an LTACH was transferred BACK to our unit. Her family member commented that she seems so much more awake than she did at the LTACH. Then said, "I wonder if they're drugging her there?" Now imagine I had gone to the LTACH to visit, and family member mentions she's been lethargic, and asks me if I think they are drugging her? See how that could get sticky?)

Finally, you would be using info you were only privy to as a professional, such as where the pt was transferred to, and then using that info to locate the pt. What if the pt found that creepy? What if the pt ceases to trust nurses, because they get stalker-ish? What if the pt reported you -- you could face legal trouble!

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Thanks everyone. To be clear, I'm not a nurse, but have constant patient contact in my role. I appreciate each of your comments as very good advice. Thanks again!

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As a friend of mine likes to say, "Clear, healthy boundaries are the key to a happy life." Professional boundaries are your friends. Just don't do it.

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definitely not Kosher with HIPAA. you got the location they were transferred to as part of your job in the medical profession. That is protected info and you cannot use it outside your professional role. So unless your job involves visiting them at wherever they are transferred to, do NOT do it.

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Specializes in OR.

I recently had a young lady as a patient who also happened to be an employee of the facility where I work. After a shift of caring for her and actually being able to get her feeling better, I went on home and as per habit pull up Facebook. Imagine my surprise when i saw a friend request from her! Uh.....not to be rude but that one immediately got deleted. As we only have our first name on our badges and my avatar pic is of a cat, i am not too sure how she located me. The health system that we work for is on my profile but it's a HUGE institution.Goes to show that one should be very careful what one puts out on social media.

I usually am able to develop a good rapport with my patients. i see them walking the halls dragging their IV pole, i might say hi and say "good to see you up and around" or some such thing. I've had hugs from grateful family and the like, and that's great but once they are discharged from my unit, that ends. We are professionals and just like a teacher, certain boundaries must be observed.

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