NP discusses MJ on national TV ????

Nurses General Nursing

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I just watched CNN and a nurse practioner(she gave her name) was on the phone giving information about Michael Jackson and what he discussed with her and what medication he was given (not by her) for his insomnia. She also talked about when she treated his kids for a cold and what she gave them. Is this legal?? What happened to patient confidentiality?? Can you just go on national TV and discuss a patient because he is dead????

Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

She's such a sell out! Unprofessional and disappointing. She's helping to paint a terrible picture of MJ. Money always talks I guess...But out of respect she should not give interviews about MJ.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

As this unfolds, you will see more and more sell outs for the fame and glory. Suddenly, everyone will be Michael's best friend, there will be so many psychics who "saw it coming" through their crystal balls. HIPPA will probably be thrown out of the window and the whole situation will become a sideshow. God, may that man rest in peace. I am sure MJ is looking down and saying he is glad he left this rat race.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

This is a sad situation, Did they not try the traditional sleep meds like Ambien or Lunesta? This is totally unacceptable if medical professions gave him this med mentioned above knowing its used in the OR or ICU. I loved MJ and his music. Sounds like he was having alot of problems and was relying on quacks to make him feel better.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Education.
As this unfolds, you will see more and more sell outs for the fame and glory. Suddenly, everyone will be Michael's best friend, there will be so many psychics who "saw it coming" through their crystal balls. HIPPA will probably be thrown out of the window and the whole situation will become a sideshow. God, may that man rest in peace. I am sure MJ is looking down and saying he is glad he left this rat race.

It's already a sideshow...

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
It's already a sideshow...

Sadly, you are correct.

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.

We nurses have all taken an oath to uphold confidentiality for our patients, long before HIPPA was initiated (which allows private information to be given to just about anyone asking for it). That said, I can see that the nurse was trying to pre-empt any media suggestion that she might have given him the drug or told him where to get it.

Wanting to sleep all the time is a sign of severe depression. No one mentioned if he was being treated for that (nor should any professional have done that). It's hard to see such ignorance about the addiction to drugs (street ones or those prescribed). It's a disease, not something for which MJ or his family needs to be castigated, upon his death - no matter the cause of that.

Prurient interest causes great harm, rather than showing concern. It's time to let up on the need to know everything about a melodramatic artist, whose judgment at times was questionnable. His lifetyle is legend as aberrant as it was, and illustrated the price of resistance to growing up, which brought him shame and dishonor. Hopefully that won't overshadow his talent which was a gift to all of us.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Anybody else see her credentials?

Energy medicine practitioner?

I'm sure this will reflect on NPs positively...

:icon_roll

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

np been in practice pior 1987 per ca bon website ---with enough years in practice should be knowledgeable about professionalism and protecting her clients confidentiality. by seeking to grap her 15 min of fame, actually shooting her self in the foot ---expect business to suffer due to this gaff.

since dea joins michael jackson death probe , expect np will be getting a call form dea too since talking about duprovan, a controlled substance.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I watched the interview with my mouth hanging open -- not only because she was busting HIPAA into a thousand pieces, but that she's supposed to be an NP and -- get this -- said she had to call a doc to ask what diprovan was.

WTH? I'm just an LPN in a little backwater town in a county nobody outside of those who live in it even know about, but I not only know what diprovan is, I've seen it in use in the ICU, the OR, and during push EGDs, and colonoscopies.

I wonder if she's going to try to get around HIPAA by saying she was functioning as a nutritionist, not a nurse....

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So, anyone have the actual law regarding whether you can talk about a person's private medical information after they have died?

I agree it is unethical but some of the nurses and docs I know are saying that death = No privacy regs.

I guess I could look it up, huh? ;)

steph

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I asked the HIPAA question on one of the doctor blogs I read, and one of the posters wrote back that dead people aren't covered by HIPAA. They didn't give any source for the opinion, though. I wonder if it's a grey area. I have a feeling that the news people aren't going to bring it up because they don't want to stop the flow of gossip.

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I asked the HIPAA question on one of the doctor blogs I read, and one of the posters wrote back that dead people aren't covered by HIPAA. They didn't give any source for the opinion, though. I wonder if it's a grey area. I have a feeling that the news people aren't going to bring it up because they don't want to stop the flow of gossip.

We had a physician speak at our econ class last night and he said the same thing.

steph

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