Patients Going Behind Nurse's Station

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I've been moved to a new hall and there is a patient who rolls herself in her wc and sits behind the nurse's station. This is a particularly nasty woman and had cursed me out earlier that evening. Naturally, I wasn't exactly thrilled to have her company. Aside from that, I thought it was generally against the rules for patients or nonstaff to hang around behind the nurse's station. I've not dealt with this issue before.

I firmly (but not impolitely) told the woman patients were not allowed behind the station and she needed to roll back out in the hall. She told me she could sit anywhere she wanted. Then, went in her room and called her husband (who refers to her as his "princess") and told him I was jerking her around and cursing her and being mean. This woman is known to embellish and lie to get sympathy from her husband, who is worse than she is.

Anyway, I wasn't in error when I told her patients could not be behind the nurse's station, was I? Furthermore, pharmacy had just made a delivery and there were meds back there I was trying to put away.

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I'd say you were totally in the right. They wouldn't allow customers/patrons into staff areas in other business. I can't see why this would be any different. Not to mention there would be computer monitors and charts that could have pt info, thus leading to HIPPA issues.

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Don't know if it's officially "ok" or not, but I've yet to see the bank let me go behind the tellers' counter.:)

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

If there is any patient information behind the desk, charts, MARs, kardexes, ANYTHING with info on it you are fully justified in keeping her out for HIPAA reasons.

Need to make sure everyone is on board with maintaining this policy so there is a united front. :twocents:

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Not a fan here.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

when they redid our unit many years ago they thought it would be a good idea idea to make the nurses station open. We have many family members come behind our desks and walk through instead of going around some will even be looking at the computer screens as they go and it irks me to no end

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

She had no right to go behind the nurses station. You did the right thing. There is confidential patient information back there and that would be a HIPAA violation. That spoiled pt and her husband need to get a life.

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Patients aren't allowed behind the nurse's desk where I work and I would think it wouldn't be tolerated anywhere due to HIPAA not to mention liability issues.

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Need to make sure everyone is on board with maintaining this policy so there is a united front. :twocents:

That will probably be your biggest challenge...having a united front. If too many nurses allow the patient to be behind the desk, you are the going to end up being the bad guy.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Only.

Oh I let them all the time!!

But, they are usually below the age of 2 and have no parents with them..

We pull the highchair right up!

But an adult, no way! Its a hippa violation big time..I'd say no way..

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Nope...no way!

I have had a resident who I had to do some 1:1 with and might have "put them to work" filing, but that is rare and they wouldn't know what they were looking at if they were able to read.

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I think you were right. I helps to have another person on the staff as a witness though for your protection. I'd run this whole situation by the DON for an opinion too. The resident may be breaking a rule, putting other staff nurses at risk and the DON needs to be aware of it.

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