looking up a patients arrest records?

[LPNweezy]

A co-worker mentioned she did this and was telling me about some previous arrests of our patients. Is this illegal? It seems very unethical. what should i do?

[pedicurn, LPN, RN]

In Colorado anyone can not only look up your nursing records they need only plug in your first name, your address and phone numbers are also public record with the state nursing board. Remember the old adage "what goes around comes around". Patient 's personal information i.e., addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, D.O.B. and SSN should not be made available to nursing staff in a hospital setting, it doesn't have any bearing on care. In Colorado a patient may also tape a conversation with their nurse, or anyone for that fact without the others knowledge or permission. They cannot tape the conversation of another patient and caregiver in the same room.

We need the DOB - very important.

And addresses are used for a variety of purposes - arranging homecare referrals, assessing neuro status ; to name a few

[JaxsonPmed]

It is perfectly legal to look up arrest records since it's public information.

I don't think it matters is hospital or prison setting. They Should be treated no different by any means.

They only time I truly believe it matters is when you work in "home health care" be it a nurse, CNA or aide. Abd the only reason I say that is because those people are sharing space with this person for hours at a time.

If they have mental health issues or have violent tendencies then, that is something that must be provided by the agency that the people are working for, but it's not! 

Now sharing this information with others, especially those outside the agency is a violation of HIPAA.

You can't give out names, addresses, bdays, any personal information needs to be held to yourself.

It's also, what I would consider unethical to speak bad of a patient to another no matter what they did.