PLEASE read. I need help!

[heavenly14313]

I will try to make this as short as possible, however it is a very complex situation.

First, I am a nursing student in my psych rotation. On my first day of clinicals, my biological father was one of my consumers. I was completely shocked b/c I had not seen him in over 10 years. I was not raised by him and he was somewhat comparable to that great aunt that sends you birthday cards each year. However, upon the death of my mother 4 years ago, my daddy (man that raised me) would not have anything to do with me. I won't get into all that...

So while I had a lot of anxiety about this POSSIBLY being him, I was growing increasingly excited. For any of you who lost a parent, imagine what it must be like to be able to say the word "mom" or "dad" again. Okay, so that's how i was feeling.

My biological father had a name change either right before or right after he was released from prison. He wrote letters to my grandmother and I occasionally throughout my life and on one of them, included his name change. He also let us know about his prison sentence and what agreements he made concerning treatment so he could have a lighter sentence.

OKay, so after my first day of possibly seeing him I called my grandmother to ask what she knew about him - where he was, etc. she was not sure the exact place but we spent the rest of the night talkin about him, what his eyes were like, hair, the way he sat, etc. I was so excited! As a few days went on I was almost sure it was him b/c of the way he treated me. He told me he was proud of me, would pat me on the back each day when I left, etc. I asked my aunt and grandmother (which is comparable to a normal families mother and father) to help me find his name change so I could be sure. So, I found out his name change and it was indeed him!

My aunt felt like I should let my clinical teacher know. So i did. The conversation was fine. She was shocked, of course, but I felt good after having talked to her. She was concerned about safety issues and I told her my aunt and grandmother felt that he would not harm me in any way. So after she and I talked, she apparently talked to the couselor at the facility. I am not sure why but I am thinking it was to ensure my safety. Later that night I get a phone call from my teacher telling me that the counselor was concerned about a breach in confidentiality. I told my teacher he is a past sex offender and his whereabouts are made known to the public, not to mention he has always kept my grandmother somewhat informed.

I thought the issue was at rest until a week later my teacher called to tell me the class coordinator and dean wanted to talk with me. She said she felt like the dean understood how traumatic this all had been and would be sympathetic. So naive me, I walk in there like I am going to be appraised for handling a situation so well, etc. Well, it was the opposite. I was repremanded (sp?) for a breach in confidentiality. They took 30 points away from my TOTAL grade, making it a 70. This means I'd have to be PERFECT and receive a 100 in my clinicals. On my best days I wouldn't be perfect, and these are far from by best days. They also said they were switching my facilities. New group, new teacher, and a long drive into the city (which I can't drive in!). I was in such shock at the meeting I don't remember saying much.

Everything happened so fast, it is slowly sinking in. I am being snatched away from a man i was growing to love, and there is no telling how this is going to make him feel. He doesn't know what's going on but i'm assuming when the clinical group gets there and i'm not, he's going to feel like it's his fault.

And what's the point of going? It's not possible to get a grade of 100, it simply isn't.

I have been through many things in life and overcome all of them, but i don't know how to overcome this situation.

The THOUGHT of Psych gives me severe anxiety. I have cried more the past couple of days then I have ever cried! I am constantly feeling like i can't breath and nauseated. It is affecting ALL areas of my life, including my other classes. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!

I have class all day on Mon then clinicals on Tues and Wed. I can barely get through a nonproductive day due to being so mentally and physically drained, the very thought of attending clinicals is overwhelming. So what do I do? Quit school? Then what? All of my options are extremely depressing. I need help sorting all of this out.

And I still don't understand how I am in so much trouble for talking to my family about it. His medical info. was NEVER mentioned. I didn't even KNOW his diagnosis until MY TEACHER told me (after I told her about him being my father). And apparently it's okay for the counselor, class coordinator, and dean know about this very personal issue for me, but not my aunt and grandmother?

[leslie :-D]

wow.

i'm so sorry about all of this.

it seems to me, there could have been a conflict of interest, and you should have been pulled from clinical in the beginning.

i guess, technically, it would be a hipaa violation, since your aunt and grandmother did not have a 'need to know'.

there are so many gray areas and it's hard to see if you really crossed the line.

somehow, it seems your instructor/school should be taking some of the responsibility in this.

i don't have any advice, but a lot of sympathy.

again, i wish you only the very best.

leslie

[jmgrn65, RN]

It was a Hippa violation, talking about a paitent to your family, even though it was also a family member.

I feel for you, and understand you are learning. Just talk to your instructor and see if there is anything you can do to help pass. Once you get through Pysch then it will be finished.

I am sorry for this situation, and hope it works out for you. Maybe someone else will come along with some better advice. ((((HUGS)))))

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

Hugs to you honey. Wow, what an emotional thing to have happen to you. Can't you continue to visit him on a personal basis? Sounds like a HIPAA violation, and I completely agree that you need to do your clinicals elsewhere, but can't your school cut you some slack on the dicipline? Sounds like it was very tough situation for you to handle. This is a very unusual circumstance.

[icyounurse, BSN, RN]

It seems to me that the school is being unduly harsh and while, yes there may have been a HIPPA violation, you were placed in a very unique situation that there is probably not much precedent and policy for. I am very sorry this happened, I hope things work out for you. I would speak with your Psych instructor and see what can be done to help you pass.

[nghtfltguy, BSN, RN]

wow!!!

that is the most interesting possible hippa violation story ever!!

i feel for you... im sorry that all this is going on w/ you...

i would talk to your school... if they have any damn heart at all they will understand!

if i were your psych instructor/clinical advisor... i would be crying..

wow!!.. what a unique situation......

i wish you the best of luck

hugggggggssss~~~

let me know how it turns out~~~

[nghtfltguy, BSN, RN]

hey jmgrn65..

in regards to your quote...

"well behaved women

rarely make history "

well......... hmmmmm

florence nightingale was very well behaved....

i am quite sure she made history~~~~

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree with the school in that it was a HIPAA violation to tell your family the whereabouts of your biological father and that you should have notified your instructor as soon as you even suspected who he was. I think the school is also right in removing you from that clinical environment.

However, think the school should give you a reasonable opportunity to continue in the program ... learn from this unusual situation ... and move forward in your studies. Perhaps if you acknowledge that you made some mistakes, you can negotiate a deal with the school that will allow you to continue.

Perhaps you might also benefit from a little counseling at this time to help you deal with this complex situation. You need to separate your personal, emotional feelings about your family from your professional relationships and responsibilities. A counselor might be able to help you sort it all out.

Good luck to you in this difficult time.

[EmmaG, RN]

I think your school is going a bit overboard here. Yeah, it's a violation; probably more so because psych patients have an added layer of privacy guaranteed above that afforded by HIPAA. But given the unique circumstances I believe they should have been a little more compassionate and as you're just a student, used it as a learning experience for you. If you were an experienced psych nurse, that would be different.

I hope you get this resolved hun.

[jojotoo, RN]

I think that this would only be a HIPAA violation if the patient (the biological father of the OP) objected to the student sharing his clinical information. Did he?

But if this is a HIPAA violation, I also think that the punishment is too harsh. School is supposed to be a learning experience and I don't think that it's fair to expect a student to know every nuance of a law that even professionals may still struggle with. Even the OP's own teacher didn't recognize the violation at first glance, otherwise the OP would have been disciplined immediately.

While I can understand the OP's interest in finding out if this patient was her father, this clinical setting was an inappropriate venue for that pursuit. THAT'S the problem that I see here. The clinical setting should be about the patient, not the OP. I don't see any indication that was discussed with the OP. I do think that it was appropriate to remove the OP from that facility and have her finish her psych rotation at another hospital.

[suanna]

Yep, HIPPA violation to even mention you saw him- especially in that setting. Be glad you are being moved to a new clinical area. The purpose of the rotation was to develope your skills in psyc nursing not to reunite you with your father. The situation was a terrible distraction for you when you should have been learning. Just because you are doing clinicals elswhere dosen't mean you have to lose contact with this man- if that is what you want, but it needs to be in your off time. Stay focused on your goals!! Please don't let this incident derail your education.

[sharona97, BSN, RN]

You were brought to this site by the school. You were forthright in letitng them know about a possible situation. The liability is something they are thinking about being "he" is noted as an abuser.

If it were me in your situation, I'd kick it up a notch and go to the next dean that presides over your current one. Sometimes a subjective view can be better seen and realise that you should not be punished. You are paying for your education. IMO use your rights.

Good luck with this, I'm sure it's very stressfull and pulls at your heart strings as well.