HIPAA violation wanted more responses

[pollyanna83]

Just recently my friend and recovering narcotics abuser (ONLY used 90 days) had to be hospitalized for emergency surgery at the same hospital she was terminated from last fall. After 2 days on her old floor her old nurse manager walks into her room and said she just realized she was there and was having her moved from the surgical wing. Not to another floor but to another building! The NM ask if it was OK to move her and my friend said no she was fine there and was not embarrassed (been clean 6 months YEAH!!). She has been found to have pancreatitis divisum, gall bladder sludge and ulcerative colitis that was septic at the time. At the time the physicians working with her told her they were 90% sure she had sclerosing chongalitis (terrifying). She is a 25 year old single mom with a possibly fatal desease and they are checking out her chart and moving her around the hospital to protect themselves. There is an ongoing investigation from the events surrounding her termination. This seemed pretty self serving to me since the NM that took the action was been named in the investigation. I have instructed her to acquire an attorney because I believe this to be a HIPAA violation.

[pollyanna83]

I'm very close to her and twice her age. But thanks for asking I feel your concern for her well being. I hear a lot of fear in these responses. What I don't hear is concern for the rule of law. My friend is very lucky to have an old 30 year sober retired nurse to confide in. Helping her stay clean and retain her license and career has become priority one for me. She is a gifted nurse and a remarkable mother. Perhaps if she had not been victimized by misdiagnosis last summer of her congenital defects she would not have felt the need to abuse in order to continue working and supporting her child. I try not to judge her. Ironically, the standard treatment for her painful condition is mass dosages of narcotics that she cannot take now. There is a lot of self preservation in nursing today and patient care often suffers. I remember a better day and better nurses.

[wubbzy]

I'm not sure I would have wanted to stay at that particular hospital under those circumstances. However, that was her choice, she was still a patient there and deserved the best treatment just as much as any other other patient there. The other nurses and managers are still liable to care for her in a caring and professional manner, not make biased, judgemental issues of the matter and move her all over the place because they were uncomfortable. It is not above them to provide care for ANY patient. I would run this by an attorney and report to the BON.

[pollyanna83]

I think I said in the original post that is exactly what I told her. I never asked for any advise to give her. I was venting. Please reread the original post.

[sjt9721, BSN, RN]

So now you've vented about the situation. If you're looking for empathy or support, you should watch the tone of your typing. All your posts border on being downright rude. (You catch more flies with honey...)

I hope your friend recovers. She is lucky to have a friend so concerned about her.

[pollyanna83]

Got pretty much what I wanted to know. Good attorneys often use test trials. They also play devils advocate. Thanks!!!!

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

This whole thread seems a little bit too specific, actually.

[Smackdown]

Every thread and post ever started by pollyanna has been about this same "friend", with extremely detailed information being given out about this "friend" .......VERY CREEPY.

Either you have an obsession with her or you ARE her. Either way, it's creepy.

[LilPeonNo1]

There is no HIPPA violation from what you have posted here. It sounds more like the NM wanted to avoid the appearance of a violation, by removing her from the floor to another unit. Whether it is in the same building or not. Perhaps it was poor judgement on the NM's part to go to the patient directly. A SW or someone from the administrative offices would probably have been a better choice. But, removing a patient from one floor to another or adjunct building is not necessarily up to the patient, nor the physician. No hospital "reserves" you a special room unless your some kind of celebrity. And, the hospital has the right to look out for its own best interests. Just like you, me and every other nurse out there, the name of the game is CYA! If an investigation is still pending, there is obviously the opportunity for further legal problems to occur over the situation. I don't blame the hospital for looking out for itself. Without knowing the circumstances surrounding the termination, and not being directly involved, noone, apart from the person fired, could possibly know all the facts about the termination. You may even feel your friend has shared the entire truth about the situation, or you may believe you know what happened from things you saw, but there may be other things about what happenned that you aren't aware of, so before you judge the NM or the hospital for their actions, make sure you have all the facts.

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Got pretty much what I wanted to know. Good attorneys often use test trials. They also play devils advocate. Thanks!!!!

As you have got what you wanted to know and to prevent this thread deteriorating into a flame war I am going to close it.