Made a big mistake

[jamieRN]

Hi everyone,

First of all, thanks so much for answering my last thread and easing my mind a little. I've been doing pretty well up until yesterday. Ok so here's what happened:

I had a patient that I was taking care of and a doctor called asking for a lab result on this patient. I was really busy but I took the phone call. The doctor identified herself and I assumed (big mistake) she was one of the doctors taking care of this patient. So, I gave the information out to her. Now, we have teams of doctors that call all the time and private doctors that do as well. There are tons of them and being new I don't know all of their names yet. I didn't think anything of it though at the time - just thought it was a private doctor calling about their patient. Come to find out this was a doctor that called but not one that was directly involved in the care of the patient. It was a doctor from a rehab facility that the patient had been at prior to comming to the hospital. The charge nurse and I talked about it, and she told me to learn from the mistake and that it would be ok. I feel so bad though, and so scared this mistake will come back to haunt me. I honestly did not mean to violate HIPPA, and looking back I can't believe how stupid I was. I'm usually very very very cautious before disclosing any information about a patient. I check the chart for a password and ect. I guess because it was a doctor (I'm know I'm sounding naive) that I felt at the time it was ok. Looking back I know I should have been more careful and investigated it more. Sorry I guess I just have to get this off my chest.

Thanks,

Jamie

[Town & Country]

We all make mistakes.

Don't beat yourself up...

[perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN]

It sounds like you have done the right thing re: follow-up and all that. And hopefully this doctor will not use the info in a manner that would hurt the pt... he/she has a legal responsibility in that area too no matter if they are still directly responsible for pt care or not!! I do understand the awful feeling of mistakes at work- I have made plenty in my few months now as a nurse unfortunately . It really stinks doesn't it?? I guess mistakes are learning experiences but they sure are like learning through fire sometimes!!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Don't beat yourself up over this. I've made the same mistake before also. I haven't been in Nurse Jail yet. You will eventually learn the names of these doctors. It takes time. It is highly unlikely that some bozo would be calling to get specific lab results on a patient to get personal information on the person. Now, if they were asking about HIV results, that would be a different story. . .

[rach_nc_03]

Don't beat yourself up over this. I've made the same mistake before also. I haven't been in Nurse Jail yet. You will eventually learn the names of these doctors. It takes time. It is highly unlikely that some bozo would be calling to get specific lab results on a patient to get personal information on the person. Now, if they were asking about HIV results, that would be a different story. . .

:rollNurse Jail!!! I love that!

[Biff Malibu 1337]

Oh Geez, if that's the worst thing you do... I've only heard of one HIPPA charge against anyone so far, and it was because someone was using patient information to get credit cards.

Biff

[KelEUSA]

Shame on that DR... She certianly violated hippa more...she knew she shouldn't be inquiring

[AtlantaRN, RN]

that is one of the reasons my facility has computer access for physians so THEY can look up their patients labs...I rarely give results over the phone unless I initiate the call, or I KNOW the physician well enough to know their voice...

not your fault, i mean do you have time to look up every physician that is on a patients case? an nurse manager would say "yes", but nothing is impossible for the person that doesn't have to do it...

at least it WAS a doctor...a year ago, i heard at our facility, someone came in wearing a white lab coat and wrote a bunch of orders on patients, and they weren't even a DOCTOR!!!!

scary

linda