Last night a nurse I work with recognized her patient, who had just had a baby, as a friend of her son's. When she left a message on her son's phone that night she told him that his friend had a baby. Her son's ex-wife listened to the message and threatened to report the nurse for a HIPPA violation. Is this a violation?
Working on a postpartum floor, we always have people calling to ask if such and such is a patient there (mom or baby). Are we allowed to tell them yes or no? I have always said I cannot release that information because I wasn't sure.
What should I really be telling them?