I bet they thought they hushed everything up.

[oramar]

Riding the bus today I heard two people who apparently work at a local hospital talking loudly about a serious error of omission committed by a group of nurses. According to what I overheard several people were fired. I noticed I wasn't the only one leaning forward and listening to the conversation. From the uniforms I saw them wearing I don't believe they were nurses, more likely housekeeping or maybe even maintenence. Isn't it wierd how stuff gets around. I don't even usually ride the buses but the weather scared me. What a couple of loud mouths.

[RN_Canada]

I absolutely hope they are NOT nurses.

nurses should know better than to have these types of conversations on a bus.

[Patricia Emery]

And sometimes hospital employees who are not nurses love to see nurses in trouble, don't they?

[oramar]

Where I last worked, the housekeeping people totally knew what was going on because they moved from unit to unit. Once they were around for a few years they frequently had the inside scoop on hospital gossip. I think in some cases they are sort of invisible to management and staff alike and that gives them opportunities to hear things.

[sibelian]

This has to be a candidate for one of the silliest, most useless posts ever. What is the point ?

[oramar]

This has to be a candidate for one of the silliest, most useless posts ever. What is the point ?

Actually I think I made the silliest, most useless post last week. This one actually has a point to it. That being you never know who is listening.

[Teacher First]

This has to be a candidate for one of the silliest, most useless posts ever. What is the point ?

I think the most serious point is to reiterate the importance of not discussing patient care issues in public (or anywhere for that matter!) It doesn't say, but patient names might have been revealed, or worse yet, what if a patient's loved one was riding that bus and had to hear such things??? I hope most of us would not do this, but perhaps we need to reinforce to ALL staff the importance of not discussing patient info outside the facility, not just because of HIPPA, but just out of decency and respect for the place that pays your salary.

[oramar]

I think the most serious point is to reiterate the importance of not discussing patient care issues in public (or anywhere for that matter!) It doesn't say, but patient names might have been revealed, or worse yet, what if a patient's loved one was riding that bus and had to hear such things??? I hope most of us would not do this, but perhaps we need to reinforce to ALL staff the importance of not discussing patient info outside the facility, not just because of HIPPA, but just out of decency and respect for the place that pays your salary.

When I was young I had a tendency to be less careful about what I said in public than I should have been. One day I overheard someone else not being careful and it hit me how awful it sounded. I was very fortunate I didn't learn the hard way by getting fired or sued. That is not the first time I heard someone doing that and it always serves as a reminder to me.

[sibelian]

It doesn't say, but patient names might have been revealed ... we need to reinforce to ALL staff the importance of not discussing patient info outside the facility, not just because of HIPPA ...

If the OP had overheard protected patient information, I'm sure she would have told us. She didn't (tell us), because she didn't (hear that).

So what we have here is a post about two people who "apparently" work at the local hospital ("I don't believe they were nurses"), discussing other people who were fired for making a mistake involving a patient. Gossip ? Yes, it happens millions of times a day. Violation of law? Not as reported here. Noteworthy? Not.

By the way, it's "HIPAA", not "HIPPA".

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

actually i think i made the silliest, most useless post last week. this one actually has a point to it. that being you never know who is listening.

what was you silliest, most useless post? i want to read it!

[klone, MSN, RN]

HIPAA.

One P, two As.

Every time I'm at a doctor's office, I will cross out and rewrite it in all the paperwork I'm supposed to sign.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

years ago, when i moved to a new town, i asked some of my colleagues to recommend a hairdresser. several of the ones with beautiful hair recommended the same guy, so i made an appointment, loved his work and was a faithful client for almost 16 years. one day while i was sitting in the chair, chaz asked me about a friend of his whom he knew was on my unit. i couldn't tell him anything even had i wanted to -- which i didn't -- because i hadn't been to work in a week. but evidently someone did.

the following week, the subject of our staff meeting was "i went to the hairdresser and my stylist knew all about . . . "

taught me a big lesson. (this time, i made sure no one at work goes to my stylist!)