Nursing Student Question

Nurses HIPAA

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Hello all,

We have been discussing in class lately about HIPAA and how easy it can be to violate it without realizing.

So with that, my question is have any of you on here had a personal experience with a HIPAA violation without realizing it? Either yourself or a fellow coworker?

I'm not asking for specifics, I just kind of wanted an idea as to how thin that line really is.

Thank you for your time!

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Specializes in EDUCATION;HOMECARE;MATERNAL-CHILD; PSYCH.

Last year, the NICU staff was celebrating their manager's birthday and somebody took a picture of the manager blowing out a candle on a cupcake that was placed on the manager's desk. The picture was posted on Facebook.

Two days later, the manager and the staff person who placed the picture on Facebook were fired. Apparently, when the picture was enlarged, the picture showed documents with patients' information.

The manager appealed her firing but HR told her that she should have reviewed the picture before it was posted on Facebook.

YIKES!!!

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Wow that is horrible. FB get more people in trouble.

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Wow. I would not have thought that the manager would have been fired too. It seems like social media when it comes to nursing or healthcare in general is extremely strict. That is crazy!

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

If it was YOUR medical information finding its way onto Facebook, you might be a little upset. In the litigious climate we practice in, that little gaff could cost the hospital big bucks. They can't take any chances and neither should you. The upshot: be very very very careful putting any workplace-related material on social websites.

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Here's the bottom line, social media and healthcare simply don't go hand in hand (from a nursing perspective). I don't even list on my FB page that I'm a nurse because I want my professional life and my personal life to be completely separate, which they are. Unless you want to find out how strict HIPPA laws are, just don't even put yourself in that position because it's not worth the hassle.

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Anybody have any examples?

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Last year, the NICU staff was celebrating their manager's birthday and somebody took a picture of the manager blowing out a candle on a cupcake that was placed on the manager's desk. The picture was posted on Facebook.

Two days later, the manager and the staff person who placed the picture on Facebook were fired. Apparently, when the picture was enlarged, the picture showed documents with patients' information.

The manager appealed her firing but HR told her that she should have reviewed the picture before it was posted on Facebook.

YIKES!!!

THIS!

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Wow. I am a nursing student and now I know to look at my pictures before me or anybody else post them somewhere.

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Wow. I am a nursing student and now I know to look at my pictures before me or anybody else post them somewhere.

you ain't kiddin'!

I remember a certain Nurses' Night Out photo that made the rounds and was posted on someone's online something-or-other. Drunk and disheveled is NOT the look you want out there when a prospective employer does a search on you!

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

A few years ago a Kansas City nursing student posted a picture of a patient's placenta on her Facebook page. No identifying information was in the picture but the nurse was almost ejected from the nursing program for violation of patient privacy and just plain poor judgement reflecting badly on the school.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2011/01/07/judge-overturns-nursing-students-expulsion-over-facebook-placenta-photos.html

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

Oh my goodness, who DOES that?? :eek:

A few years ago a Kansas City nursing student posted a picture of a patient's placenta on her Facebook page. No identifying information was in the picture but the nurse was almost ejected from the nursing program for violation of patient privacy and just plain poor judgement reflecting badly on the school.

Judge overturns nursing student's dismissal for Facebook photo of placenta | The Columbus Dispatch

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