HIPAA Violation?

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Is it a HIPAA violation if you look up information on patients you currently are not taking care of? I recently had a nurse admit to looking up a former patient who she noticed was in the ER. I guess the patient had been recently discharged. The thing that gets me though is that she went around telling the rest of the staff that the patient was in the ER and why she was down there. I believe this is something she does often. Am I wrong to say that you're also not supposed to look up patients who have been transferred out of your care to another unit like ICU?

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

You are correct

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

Nurses have no right to health care information on patients they aren't caring for.

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yup, technically its a violation.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Yes, violation

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It's definitely a violation, and in my organization an immediately fireable offense.

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Oh yeah that's a violation. That patient is not in her care and she has no need or right to see those records. The busy-body nurse is no doubt one of the reasons HIPAA was implemented

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