Hallway conversation with family too public?

[guest1200295]

While talking with a family member of a patient in the hallway, I asked, generally, "how are they (meaning the patient)?" The family member mentioned several facts about the patient's condition. About 15 feet away sat a visitor visiting in the room next door. So, I urged the family member with whom I was speaking to move with me down the hall, where we'd have more privacy. I don't know if that other visitor heard our conversation, but they likely knew that it was about the patient in the next room. Am I at fault here?  I feel badly for even asking the question to the family member! Thank you.

[JKL33]

No need to feel bad. I assume this conversation was rather incidental, as in it began in the hall while you were engaged in other general nursing duties or doing something for another patient. That's just the way it is. You were cognizant of the privacy of the patient in question and did the right thing by stepping down the hall a little further, doing that helped protect that patient's privacy and also the appearance that you are a person who tries to maintain privacy/confidentiality. You also learned that in the future you could check your surroundings before asking questions that might elicit information others don't need to know.

Good job. You are not at fault for anything, nothing was violated on your part and no need to worry any more about this. It's all good ??

[guest1200295]

Thank you for this. I wasn't the patient's RN but was on the care team, so had an interest in the patient's needs and welfare, and wanted to offer support. While I was in the area, this family member came out of the patient's room asking for help for the patient. While waiting for the proper person to arrive, we had this discussion. So, it was somewhat incidental, but still troubled me and yes, I will be mindful going forward. I appreciate your gracious input!

[guest1200295]

And I felt especially bad because the family member named the patient's specific illnesses, which I feared were overheard. 

[JKL33]

Try not to be too hard on yourself in general. And try to keep things in perspective. There are plenty of others delivering a beating to nursing, we don't need do it to ourselves! ?

We hear so much about what could happen if we do a single thing wrong and there is a persistent perception that we need to be perfect. The truth is, there are also a lot of times when having our "heart in the right place" DOES matter. You very well could have kept right on walking or told them to put their call light on [sometimes we have no other choice but to do that and sometimes it's just more convenient]. But instead you stopped and were responding to a request and a need.

There is really nothing to feel bad for, here. It's all okay, I promise. Keep providing the best nursing care that you can, but you MUST give your own self some grace. For your own well being as well as for preserving your enjoyment of nursing, you have to let the small stuff go.

If it makes you feel better, the majority of my experience is in the ED where people are all over each other, crammed into hall beds, chairs, curtain areas, everywhere. If we tried stepping a few steps over to have a more private conversation like you did, we'd just be on top of someone different. ??‍♀️

I don't want to undermine the importance of doing all we can to maintain people's privacy, but there's also the limitations of our humanity and the world we live in. Our job is to be conscientious and do the best we can. If you are doing that then be at peace with yourself.

?

[guest1200295]

Thank you for that truly kind, wise, thoughtful input, which I shall take to heart. I should say I'm part of a care team, not an RN but hospital employee, and yes, in general forget that I too am human ♡!