Confidentiality Pt HIV Status disclosed to a taxi driver

Nurses General Nursing

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hi my first post!!!

i am just starting nursing in Sheffield uk in september

i was working in a hospital in the uk as a admin assistnant. i recived an incident form from the nursing manager and it was reported that a PT that had been transfered to the hopsital i was at and had come form another hopital at the other hospital the nurse that booked the Taxi to bring him to my hospital (my department) had told the taxi driver that the PT was coming to our hopital for treatment of his HIV!!!!! I just coundnt believe that she had told him. due to the job i was in i had to phone her hospital and report her to the manager. the taxi driver then refused totake the PT

No one has to disclose HIV status to anyone (unless they are planning on sleeping with them.) Even surgeons can have HIV and not have to disclose to the people they will be performing surgery on.

I really love (sarcastic) when people treat people with HIV as if it's a communicable disease. The public really needs to be educated on this.

Shame on that nurse.

You're funny. I know someone who said--" when I start working in the hospital,I will be terrified to shake someones hand because I am afraid of getting HIV. I'm like right, don't get me wrong I am scared of HIV,AIDS, etc but what are you going to do---ask " do you have HIV" and then shake their hand.

As a UK nurse I think there are a number of inconsistencies in this post - it may well be down to how I am reading it.

Every hospital has a system for reporting clinical and non-clinical incidents. If this is about a nurse it will go to there ward manager or equivalent. There is a strict process of recording, reporting and responding and does not involve the inclusion of admin assistants. By there very nature they often contain highly confidential medical information and are disclosed only on a need to know basis.

I cannot help but wonder why the HIV status of a patient was alledgedly disclosed to an admin assistant???? sorry but cannot see it happening. I also struggle with the idea of a nurse choosing to disclose this and a taxi driver refusing to transport.

There are so many parts of the original post that have me asking "how??" but then I am also the first to know that if anyone is going to drop a huge clanger it is the medical profession.

i was a Clerical officer working in the matrons office doing general clerical work answering phone calls taking messages compiling databases of pt.

i will re word the first post bit confused my self now lol

i was given an incident form form the matron who aksed me to contact the hospital in question when a Staff nurse told a Taxi driver that a patient that he was going to taken to our hospital was HIV positive its not thye point that he is HIV positive its the fact that the nurse told the Taxi driver and then the taxi driver refused to take the PT until it was explained to him. i worked on the infectious diseases unit. so the reason people were actually in the unit was because of the infections they had. i reported it to the Nursing manager of the ward in question because the day i was working the matrons were both off and had left it to me to speak to the nursing manager to get intouch with our matrons i am sorry if it seemed confusing.

You're funny. I know someone who said--" when I start working in the hospital,I will be terrified to shake someones hand because I am afraid of getting HIV. I'm like right, don't get me wrong I am scared of HIV,AIDS, etc but what are you going to do---ask " do you have HIV" and then shake their hand.

Oh my... :eek:

A student in one of my classes said, "I heard that if HIV infected blood touches your skin it will seep through your skin and you will get infected as well." The teacher was like, "Unless your skin is a giant open wound, then no." Plus, the virus weakens drastically when it hits the air.

I have a male friend who is HIV positive (his lesson learned - don't trust anyone without proof of a negative test!). He was engaged to a man who was not HIV positive. He never got infected (amazing what protection does!)

I have no fear. No blood, no problem. Plus, standard safety precautions should always be taken with everyone.

Oh my... :eek:

A student in one of my classes said, "I heard that if HIV infected blood touches your skin it will seep through your skin and you will get infected as well." The teacher was like, "Unless your skin is a giant open wound, then no." Plus, the virus weakens drastically when it hits the air.

I have a male friend who is HIV positive (his lesson learned - don't trust anyone without proof of a negative test!). He was engaged to a man who was not HIV positive. He never got infected (amazing what protection does!)

I have no fear. No blood, no problem. Plus, standard safety precautions should always be taken with everyone.

I wouldn't trust anyone either without proof of a negative test. Now I am married and he is negative. I understand when a person doesn't know they are carrying it and passing it on, but I hate those that engage in sexual activities knowing that they have HIV.

So sad

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
in us we take confidentiality seriously, and i love it. no one needs to know my medical history, unless i am going to harm someone or i am suicidal. i don't know much about uk and confidentiality, i just know that in most parts of europe confidentiality is not taken as seriously as in us. once you test positive for hiv, expect the next day the entire neighborhood to know. :p

people don't care about law suits, many of them have connections and they will never lose their licence. in many parts of europe, people get a away with murder.....some people get just a few years in jail for taking someone's life.

i have traveled a lot and i have family everywhere, europe is much different from us. i wish everybody would take confidentiality seriously, but they don't.

rest assured the uk does take confidentiality very serious and is part of the nurses code of conduct

it is not acceptable for nurses and midwives to:

* discuss matters related to the people in their care outside the clinical setting

* discuss a case with colleagues in public where they may be overheard

* leave records unattended where they may be read by unauthorised persons.

confidentiality | nursing and midwifery council

Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
i was a Clerical officer working in the matrons office doing general clerical work answering phone calls taking messages compiling databases of pt.

i will re word the first post bit confused my self now lol

i was given an incident form form the matron who aksed me to contact the hospital in question when a Staff nurse told a Taxi driver that a patient that he was going to taken to our hospital was HIV positive its not thye point that he is HIV positive its the fact that the nurse told the Taxi driver and then the taxi driver refused to take the PT until it was explained to him. i worked on the infectious diseases unit. so the reason people were actually in the unit was because of the infections they had. i reported it to the Nursing manager of the ward in question because the day i was working the matrons were both off and had left it to me to speak to the nursing manager to get intouch with our matrons i am sorry if it seemed confusing.

I am even more confused now, our clerical assistants wouldn't be tasked with dealing with any clinical incident actions that it a job for your senior nursing staff. If both the matrons were off how did she give you the form?

Our admin staff only input incident forms into a data base they are not responsible for any actions needed

I don't give a damn about "confidentiality". No one knows who said what. Also, HIV is a murderer. We let murderers walk the streets in the G20 but not in the real world. I respect whatever desicion the nurse made in order to insure safety of ALL.

I don't give a damn about "confidentiality". No one knows who said what. Also, HIV is a murderer. We let murderers walk the streets in the G20 but not in the real world. I respect whatever desicion the nurse made in order to insure safety of ALL.

Wow!! So you don't care if nurses and doctors share your personal info such as medical history etc. with random people? I believe Confidentiality makes patient-nurse, doctor relationship stronger.

She should be fired!

Specializes in Addiction / Pain Management.

Isn't the taxi driver a medical contractor and therefore cover by the hospital confidentiality agreement?

Not excusing the mistake but the lessening the liability factor.

I don't give a damn about "confidentiality". No one knows who said what. Also, HIV is a murderer. We let murderers walk the streets in the G20 but not in the real world. I respect whatever desicion the nurse made in order to insure safety of ALL.

NOBODY was unsafe. The patient was riding in a taxi, not sharing needles or sleeping with the cab driver. Nobody was put at risk. The taxi driver had NO NEED to know the HIV status, or any other medical information of the passenger. Chances are, he picks up a few HIV +ve (and worse!) patients a week anyway.

Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
i was a Clerical officer working in the matrons office doing general clerical work answering phone calls taking messages compiling databases of pt.

i will re word the first post bit confused my self now lol

i was given an incident form form the matron who aksed me to contact the hospital in question when a Staff nurse told a Taxi driver that a patient that he was going to taken to our hospital was HIV positive its not thye point that he is HIV positive its the fact that the nurse told the Taxi driver and then the taxi driver refused to take the PT until it was explained to him. i worked on the infectious diseases unit. so the reason people were actually in the unit was because of the infections they had. i reported it to the Nursing manager of the ward in question because the day i was working the matrons were both off and had left it to me to speak to the nursing manager to get intouch with our matrons i am sorry if it seemed confusing.

OK was the p't likely to bleed in the taxi? Not likely but a possible reason for the taxi driver being informed of HIV status.

Can think of no other reason for the taxi driver knowing the status.....it is a huge violation of p't rights.

Now then ...you are not supposed to know either; as you are not providing direct care to this p't.

Nor should you, as an administrative assistant, be helping to handle this issue.

And nor should you be placing yourself in a situation (speaking about the case on this board) where you could be compromising this p'ts right to confidentiality

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