HIPPA violation?

[tellafriend]

One of the nurses where I work has been hospitalized. She is not on our floor but does come to our floor to visit with staff. She is in a patient gown and brings her IV pole and sits inside the nurses station for hours just visiting. Is it a violation of hippa for her to be in the nurses station while she is a patient? She does not look up patient info on the computers, but we normally dont let patients behind the desk. Can anyone answer this?

[AZMOMO2]

Not a HIPPA violation because she does not access patient information, the nurses though, can not be discussing patient information with her there, because that is.

Now it could be a policy of the facility violation.

[tellafriend]

Yes she doesnt access pt info but there is pt info readily apparent behind the desk. the charge has her shift report, people are on looking up patients, and charts are open, and people are quietly discussing patient situations. she has access to all that. i am not comfortable with this. who should i contact about this without actually telling on her? i dont want to be involved in any violations.

[Asystole RN]

Yes she doesnt access pt info but there is pt info readily apparent behind the desk. the charge has her shift report, people are on looking up patients, and charts are open, and people are quietly discussing patient situations. she has access to all that. i am not comfortable with this. who should i contact about this without actually telling on her? i dont want to be involved in any violations.

The manager.

[cindyloowho]

Why does this bother you so much? I think some people get too crazy about hipaa (not hippa, BTW) during out of context situations. This woman is just hanging with her friends. If she is being inappropriate in other professional manners, then sure, tell someone about it. But honestly, hipaa seems to be of little concern here. Remember, we were humans long before laws ever came into play.

[MsBruiser]

Mind your own business...that is not nearly at the level worth reporting.

[tellafriend]

i didnt report her and i wouldnt. its just that the manager has written people up for this same kind of situation saying that we let them be in an area they are not supposed to be in. luckily manager is on vacation and nurse is no longer hospitalized.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Post has been moved to the HIPAA forum with the goal of attracting more responses.

[sapphire18]

Well it seems that the situation is resolved, however I really can't see any manager "writing somebody up" for something like this without asking your coworker to not come behind the desk first.