I know this is wrong - but how wrong is it?

[papergirlRN]

So, my dh and some friends go out the other night to dinner. My hubby's bff, whom we'll call dick, has a girlfriend, who we'll call jane. Dick and Jane have been dating for one month, but according to them, it was love at first sight and they have spent every waking moment together, already planning to get married, buy a house, etc.

Anyway, we're waiting for our dinner to arrive, and Jane pulls out a piece of paper with lab values written on it. WBC's, K+, Na-,etc. Jane hands it to Dick, and Dick says, "what's this?" Jane (a nurse at our local hospital) says, "Oh, I got bored the other night and looked up your labs. I wrote down the abnormal ones." Dick had recently gotten hurt at work, went to the ED, and blood was drawn I assume to check for drugs/etoh since it was a worker's comp claim. Jane hands me the piece of paper as if I'm interested in Dick's labs. (I'm a 3rd semester ADN student). Dick says, "Well, what else did you learn?" and Jane says, "Well, I know you broke your ankle in 2005," etc. etc. This girl rattled off a pretty complete medical history. In the middle of a restaurant. With (basically) complete strangers. While she does know that I am a nursing student, she had no idea what my dh does for a living. I mean, what if he worked for JCAHO or something? Geez. He doesn't, but you know what I mean! This girl has guts!

Dick does not seem to think this is a big deal at all. If anything, he finds it amusing that Jane is interested and cares. Dick does not work in the medical field. Dick does not know what HIPAA means. Nothing.

Jane seems like a sweet girl, but this is unethical. Illegal. Immoral? She could lose her job for sure. Maybe her license? I don't know. Should I tell Dick about HIPAA and fines, and just plain old fashioned ethics?

What are your thoughts??

[crissrn27, RN]

Wow. This girl is crazy. Dick might not care now, but I wonder how he will feel in a couple of months if they break up. Bet he'll care then that this person has his medical history. And what if he had some embarrassing stuff in there? Wonder how that would have gone?

[lyceeboo]

My hospital also does random audits for HIPPA violations. But talking to Dick will just cause trouble.

Where I work It's dismissal if you weren't that pts RN or the unit Charge RN on the date you logged into that pts record. We were told that if we ordered a lab one day & the next day when the lab is posted we can only access it if we are the Charge RN or that pts RN.

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

If Jane gets caught her goose is cooked. What an unethical person she is. Captain Tripps, I love your response. I wish I was that quick witted.

[caliotter3]

By all means have a little talk with Jane and attempt to bring her to her senses. You could be the person who saves her reputation and her career. You can bet your mother's wedding ring that Dick is not the first or last object of her curiosity. Tell her this. She has absolutely no idea who might have been within earshot, or in any other situation who is within earshot, and what they might realize and do something about. Many times I've been in public places and looked around and seen people that I recognize from work situations. She's twice foolish for doing that in public.

[DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN]

wow. I am kind of speechless. I agree with the op in telling Jane about ethics, etc. ~Ivanna

The OP wanted to tell Dick.

I believe Leslie was all for telling Jane.

I agree with Leslie.

Jane is a bad girl.

Shame on Jane...

[jojotoo, RN]

Dick may not mind Jane looking up his records, but what about all those OTHER patients she's probably looking up? And sharing the details.

Skip talking to Jane - no way can she unaware of HIPPA.

You need to make a call to the hospital administration.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

Dick may not mind Jane looking up his records, but what about all those OTHER patients she's probably looking up? And sharing the details.

Skip talking to Jane - no way can she unaware of HIPPA.

That is what I was thinking, too. It is really hard (if not impossible) to work in a hospital and be unaware of HIPAA. If she's blatantly violating HIPAA like that, what other rules and policies is she violating? Makes you really question her integrity. Not sure I'd want to marry someone like that...

[donsterRN, ASN, BSN]

If Jane is a nurse at the local hospital, she already knows all about HIPAA. Not only is she aware of it, she's signed documentation that she's aware of it and the penalties for violating it. She most probably assumed that she was in the company of friends who wouldn't tell; a dangerous assumption at best, and an incredibly stupid one at worst. If I were the OP, I'd say something to Jane immediately about the violation at the restaurant.

But, chances are someone at the hospital already knows, if this information is stored electronically.

As Dutchgirl notes, Jane is a bad girl...

[justme1972]

I would actually tell her what you said here, and remind her that what she did was illegal...and Dick may feel differently if they ever broke up and he could cause her to lose her job over it.

[EmmaG, RN]

As Dutchgirl notes, Jane is a bad girl...

Forget for a moment nursing ethics, HIPAA, patient confidentiality... what she did was just plain weird. Pulling this stunt in a public place and in front of people she really doesn't know?

Run Dick run.

[EricG]

I'm probably going to get chastised for this comment, but my advice would be to continue on with nursing school and let Jane get herself into trouble at her place of employment. If by chance you end up working with her after you finish school and get to witness her violating HIPPA rules, deal with it at that time. Dick doesn't know any better and there is no reason to get in the middle of their relationship.

I'm a bit surprised after so many comments saying basically the same thing that nobody has simply stated to chalk this up as a learning experience and worry about this sort of thing with your fellow students and people you actually work with.

If you worked with her it would obviously require you to take some type of action. Given the current situation, it would be best for you to just let her employer catch her violating privacy laws.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

not only wrong but stupid to discuss it in public. I would avoid this woman like the plague.