Nurses: Why do many of you do this?

[terina66]

I've been a registered nurse for two years now. Sometimes the nurses in my unit and I get together outside of work and chat. One day, the nurses were discussing about their patient encounters (non-medical related). I do not want to write what they discussed, but they were patient encounters that many people would describe as "gross."

I believe patient confidentiality (even when patients' names aren't mentioned) should be respected during work as well as outside of work. I'm sure patients already feel embarrassed about their condition, and it ANNOYS me when nurses say they will not judge patients when giving them care, but then they go around and talk about their patients conditions.

If I was a patient, I'd be angry if an RN talked about my condition outsideof work. Patients trust nurses to give them care while respecting their confidentiality. Yes, we may encounter new and different things each day, and some may feel that talking about so-called "weird" conditions helps them "bond"with others from work, but that does not give any nurse the right to talk about patients like that.

I've noticed there was a thread on allnurses entitled, "What Is Your Most Gross,Yucky, Disgusting Nursing Horror Story?" This is disrespectful in my opinion. No offense to any of the nurses that do this. Thanks for letting me vent...

[amygarside]

Thank you for sharing views on this kind of practice.

[nguyency77, CNA]

I have a question!

I'm just a student nurse. But there's a certain person that I know who is a RN. She and I are both part of our ethnic community; therefore, most everyone knows everyone by name, gossip spreads like wildfire, etc.

The problem is...She likes telling stories about patients that are identifiable.

The other night, she told my grandparents a story about Mr. So-and-So who had X amount of strokes, was having X treatment at Y Hospital, is about to die, his WHOLE life story (including how many kids he has, how long he's been in the hospital, etc.), his NAME, who his wife was... This is an arbitrary example of what she does.

Call me a silly idealistic student, but isn't that WRONG? I can understand it when nurses tell stories of funny/weird situations. I know I have had to care for interesting people during my time as a CNA... Won't ever forget the times I got punched by residents!

But it is NOT ok to be sharing information that is specific and identifiable. I knew exactly who the person was and how to find him. I just feel that the people in my ethnic community don't necessarily understand their rights under HIPAA.

What do I do? If I keep my mouth shut, she's just going to keep telling the whole world about her patients.

[monkeybug]

Did we get ding-dong ditched?

OP didn't come back.

"Goodbye, cruel internet, you don't understand meeeeee!"

[monkeybug]

I have a question!

I'm just a student nurse. But there's a certain person that I know who is a RN. She and I are both part of our ethnic community; therefore, most everyone knows everyone by name, gossip spreads like wildfire, etc.

The problem is...She likes telling stories about patients that are identifiable.

The other night, she told my grandparents a story about Mr. So-and-So who had X amount of strokes, was having X treatment at Y Hospital, is about to die, his WHOLE life story (including how many kids he has, how long he's been in the hospital, etc.), his NAME, who his wife was... This is an arbitrary example of what she does.

Call me a silly idealistic student, but isn't that WRONG? I can understand it when nurses tell stories of funny/weird situations. I know I have had to care for interesting people during my time as a CNA... Won't ever forget the times I got punched by residents!

But it is NOT ok to be sharing information that is specific and identifiable. I knew exactly who the person was and how to find him. I just feel that the people in my ethnic community don't necessarily understand their rights under HIPAA.

What do I do? If I keep my mouth shut, she's just going to keep telling the whole world about her patients.

What she's doing is highly inappropriate. There is a huge difference in sharing an interesting story about an anonymous person and sharing a particular person's life story. Huge difference.

[nguyency77, CNA]

What she's doing is highly inappropriate. There is a huge difference in sharing an interesting story about an anonymous person and sharing a particular person's life story. Huge difference.

I thought so, too. This is going to sound really passive-aggressive, but the next time she starts on a topic like that I'm just going to ask her if telling the story is okay with HIPAA. She used to work in a LTC, and she actually shared information about who lived on what floor. And of course they were all people within the community who were identifiable. Maybe this isn't a problem to some residents, but in our culture some people consider it morally wrong to institutionalize the elderly because of family values. I personally don't feel that way, but I digress.

It's as if she thinks I don't know what HIPAA is, and somehow that makes it okay to gossip about patients to people who know them? It doesn't.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I thought so, too. This is going to sound really passive-aggressive, but the next time she starts on a topic like that I'm just going to ask her if telling the story is okay with HIPAA. She used to work in a LTC, and she actually shared information about who lived on what floor. And of course they were all people within the community who were identifiable.

It's as if she thinks I don't know what HIPAA is, and somehow that makes it okay? It doesn't.

I agree that what this nurse is doing is highly inappropriate. But before you take on an (older than you?) member of your social circle in what may be viewed as a confrontational way, consider that social norms DO vary quite a bit by region, ethnicity, community size, etc. For example: I've worked in a small hospital where, if you saw a neighbor/acquaintance walking through the halls, it would be considered rude if you did not stop and ask why they were at the hospital -- and you could expect to get a pretty detailed response.

Might be better to more privately "ask" this nurse about HIPAA, in a I'm-just-a-student-learning-about-this-for-the-first-time way, and see what response you get. If she continues to breach confidentiality at every social gathering, you need to decide what this is worth to you: you can report her behavior to hospital management, or you can leave it alone and simply resolve not to duplicate her behavior.

[paradiseboundRN]

One midnight shift one of my cataclysmically demented little old ladies was missing. I found her in another resident's room straddling a wastebasket and pooping into it. The resident who lived in the room in question was hospice and his family were spending the night and they slept through the whole thing. You bet your bippy I've told that story to a number of friends. If telling funny patient stories (no names) is wrong, I don't want to be right....

I worked at an older hospital with a boxed type heater in the room. It didn't get hot to the touch. It just blows hot air. I had an elderly patient poop on that. Never did get smell out of the room. Every time the blower kicked on...

[chrisrn24]

I had a friend once who in nursing school was telling me stories of names of people at that hospital. Frankly, I told her "you shouldn't be saying the names of these people."

[ktwlpn, LPN]

QUOTE>>>happy hours/breakfast-and-beer mornings

[RaedeenHeadrick]

It's HIPAA, not HIPPA... just sayin'

[blondesareeasy]

It ain't hippa if there are no identifiable factors. You can go on TV and talk about it too.

[laurelember]

Idle speech is a genuine ethical concern, as well as locations where it proliferates. It is true that if each person overheard their own suffering, they would wish they had never entrusted. It's genuinely heart-wrenching to witness the "unknowing" that causes suffering. One's intentions are important. To prevent more suffering? To ridicule? It comes around.