hippa violation

[glasshalffull]

k, a little background. i'm privately contracted to do bedside procedures in the icu. my friends husband is in the room next door & it's not a good situation. a third friend has been with her all day but is now gone. i'm doing the procedure next door, fully aware of what is happening to my friends husband. my friend is upset with the doctors & is crying & confronting them at his bedside. I call friend #3 to tell her what all has transpired, updating her on the declining desposition of my friends husband. we r all nurses. an icu nurse overhears me talking to friend #3 about our friend's husband's condition. now the icu charge nurse & house supervisor are trying to slap me with a HIPPA violation & ban me from the hospital. Did i violate hippa by updating a friend on another friend's husband?

[Hilinenursegrl]

Well we are all waiting to hear the update. If it matters anymore, I think this was a HIPPA violation as you learned this information, and shared this information, as a health care worker.

[glasshalffull]

yes true, i was working as a health care provider for a private doctor for another patient. n if u look at it, when i go visit friends in the hospital, i'm stell a health care provider but not at that time. so reflecting on that, i was not the patients direct or indirect health care provider as i do not work for the hospital. i'm not contracted with the hospital. they in no way shape or form pay me for my services. the private doctor does. n the nurses were discussing his case outside of his room n not in a care plan meeting or neither was his direct health care provider involved in that discussion. it was the other nurses in the unit n in relation to the patient i was a visitor. so it is a sticky situation i agree. have i learned something? yes. will i do this again? no. btw, still haven't heard anything. my boss n the doctor r letting me do procedures in that hospital again becuz the house supervisor did not live up to her end of the deal, getting back with them on thursday. instead she went out on vacation. so i'm not worried about it anymore. will definitely let all know the outcome when i do find out