is this a Hipaa Violation?

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i work on a Rehab unit in NY , our pt's eat in a dining room . a RN started discussing to me out loud with all the patients were around , why mr X's staples were not taken out the day before.? i said to him please don't discuss that in the dining room take me aside , this was not the place to discuss this patient. he proceeded to keep talking about it and got loud with me in the dining room as to why mr X's staples were not taken out. every pt in the dining room ( our dining room seats 30 ) on and on about this pt's staples the patient and his wife were also present along with the man other residents. he was loud and obnixous and acted like a bully about these stupid staples. i told him to call the doc and have them taken out no big deal but he kept it up . i spoke to ****** our unit manager and told her i midas ******* for a HIPPA violation and for talking back to me ( i am the charge nurse over the unit. ) was this a HIPPA violation ? we have had trouble with ***** having a attuide before , he gets really mean to to other nurses and treats them horrible. thank you in advance for any advice.

Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.

My question is, would the fact that someone has staples really be a HIPAA violation? I mean, certainly the conversation is utterly inappropriate for the middle of the dining room (not to mention the nurse in question sounds like a tool), but HIPAA? Especially if the staples were in an area of the body that was visible, etc.

I'm just curious, I use all of the threads as learning tools.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
My question is, would the fact that someone has staples really be a HIPAA violation? I mean, certainly the conversation is utterly inappropriate for the middle of the dining room (not to mention the nurse in question sounds like a tool), but HIPAA? Especially if the staples were in an area of the body that was visible, etc.

I'm just curious, I use all of the threads as learning tools.

While talking about "staples" isn't a HIPAA violation in and of itself...shouting about Mr X staples is.

So shouting "What about those Staples??" in the dining room is not HIPAA however is it unprofessional unbecoming conduct.

Shouting "What about Mr X staples" is HIPAA as well as unprofessional conduct.

GrnTea wrote an very good article about this!

[h=2]The answer: Is this a HIPAA violation?[/h]

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