HIPPA

[onemanfloatpool]

OK we all know we can't say much over the phone. I was in ICU and had just admitted pt who had been run over by a tractor- not a lawn tractor- a tractor. She had multiple facial fxs but was stable. A woman, claiming to be a neighbor, called and began an expletive full conversation before I finished saying "ICU how may I help you?" She said "My neighbor was run over by a tractor and noone will %^&# tell me @!%%^& anything about her." I responded "I can tell you she is here and she is stable" At which point I heard her scream at someone "THEY PUT HER IN THE STABLE!"I tried to explain that stable was her condition not where she was but the woman hung up. I have never laughed harder in my life.

[caliotter3]

Well, HIPAA compliance or not, you should not have told the lady you put your patients in stables! What will they be thinking? Ha, ha!

[SWS RN, ASN, RN]

It sounds like perhaps the patient and certainly her neighbor were no strangers to stables!

She probably would have felt more at home....

[HollyHobby]

This reminds me of a patient's family who overheard the nurses giving shift report. The family became distraught, broke down crying, practically collapsing in the hallway.

The nurses were confused because the patient was stable, one day post bypass grafting. Eventually they figured out (when the family was able to speak coherently) that they'd overheard the word "cabbage" i.e. CABG and assumed that meant their loved one was a vegetable.