My friend is going before a Nursing Board next Thursday. She is being accused of a Hippa violation.
To make a long story short....she was fired for getting an ABG and chest x-ray because the pt. was in distress and the M.D. wouldn't return 3 pages. In the end, the pt.'s PO2 was 47 and PCO2 was 90. He coded and ended up on the vent. Ultimately, she was fired. That's not what I need an answer for because she knows she shouldn't have done it and she's not in trouble for that.
The next day a reporter shows up at her door (even the nursing board didn't have her address...she had just moved. The only people who knew the new address was the employer) with a paper in hand and this patient's name on it and starts questioning her from being woken up from a dead sleep (cried all night). She never said his name on the news, never confirmed it but on tv while just talking with her they showed the man's name. She is now being brought up on a Hippa violation. Does anyone know if she could lose her license for this? And what about the hospital releasing this man's name? Aren't they in violation??
She will be with an attorney next week and he says as far as he can see it WAS a HIPPA violation.
I just want to know if you can lose your license. Thanks so much! She has been a CCU RN for 28 years....I would hate to see her license taken. One outstanding nurse!
