Possible HIPAA trouble help me please!

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Just to give a little background I've been very stressed and lacking in nutrition and sleep lately on top of being 8 months pregnant and almost giving birth twice early, when I came back to work I've been making mistakes in the workplace such as many misspellings and even typing the wrong patients in for look up. I accidentally typed a name of a person I kinda know personally in the system and only their name name, dob, and address popped up once I I realized what I did wrong I immediately exed out of it. I believe I had done this because just before I had been having a conversation with someone about the person, so with that person still on my mind i typed in their name by accident if that makes sense. That was not the first time I made the mistake of having the wrong persons info up and immediately x-ing out but it is the first time I typed their name in. I don't want it to seem like I had any malicious intent it was just a mistake of looking at one thing and typing what was on my mind instead which I and I'm sure that other people have done as well. Does this sound like a HIPAA violation I could get fired for? It was an honest mistake and now I am super paranoid! Please help?!?! What should I do?

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No, not unless you foraged around the chart since you already had it open.

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I'm just super nervous because it's not like the person's info was laying around to where it may be understandable why I typed the name in. Also they always say the screens are recorded so I'm just scared that my carelessness would jeopardize my job.

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If anyone is familiar with Epic that's the software used. So it wasn't a chart, it was just the patient's line of info that you would click on to select them. If I would've have clicked on the name it would've shown up in my recents and it would have displayed her future and past appointments, as well as name, number, address, and more info. I'm just trying to be specific as possible, idk what to do.

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Stop perseverating on this. You'll be fine. Unless you clicked on something IN the chart you aren't tracked. I'm an Epic Superuser.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

People type familiar names subconsciously all the time stop perseverating. If you entered the record, different issue. Get rest you need it

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Okay thanks a lot I really appreciate it. I will definitely get some rest!

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Did this just happen

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Monday my manager called me and said HR and privacy managers wanted to speak to me and I as like for what. I figured maybe when I had a patient two days prior I went back through her chart to see if I had charted everything correctly since we switched bloods transfusions from paperwork to computers now.

So so I spoke with them yesterday. Mind you I started in April. They said I accessed two charts, and they had snap shots of these two peoples charts labs, notes vitals etc and I was like whoa, no those people aren't familiar to me I have no idea who they are. it looked like someone spent two hours going through these two peoples charts.

The third person I am guilty of. In April I first started and didn't know epic didn't train on the modules yet. I was just clicking on buttons. A space bar popped up. So on auto pilot i typed in my exes name and was like nope and I backed out. Less than 30 seconds.

Well my ex is pretty much a sociopath and he's doing everything he can to just destroy me like literally. So they brought up i looked at his chart. Only his demographics page. I froze I didn't want them to know my business and if I told them I would've broke down crying from what I've gone through in. The last year with him I froze and lied and said I didn't know him. I denied it I didn't know what to say. Long story short my ex is trying to make my life miserable. One of the privacy managers was like well we heard you know this person. Which it was my exes name. I knew right then my ex called. They didn't suspend me they said we will call you tomorrow. I just didn't feel comfortable telling ppl i barely know my personal business

I drove home home crying I felt so guilty. I can't lie. So I called the privacy manager left her a message then called my boss and asked if I could come in today I wanted to speak to her. I wanted to tell her the entire truth. Like how my ex is harassing me trying to put me in jail etc I met with them and told them the truth and said I love working here but if I have to resign I will. They said wel out investigation isn't done we are still looking. I said I'm not worried I know hippa I did make a mistake I'm sorry for lying. When I mentioned resignation they ignored me. At the end of the meeting I asked so if you go through my epic and find me clear what could happen that I opened my exes file. He said possible termination. ☹️ Mind u I never clicked on anything of his. But my manager was like until pending investigation is through we have to suspend you.

What i I did was wrong. I accept responsibility. I wish I could stop my exes harassment. He's doing this in retaliation because I opened a new account at a bank. Well his sister started working there. I didn't know. I walked in and she must've saw me and locked the door I was so embarrassed once I realized it was her I left quickly. My friend who works for a different branch prompted me a to call customer service and see if she accessed my account. I said no no it's ok. Then a week later I was curious. And she did. Three times without my authorization So I text her and asked her nicely not look into my personal info and I told her that I was given the option to report her and I chose not to. Because it could lead to her termination. She made a rude comment and I left it alone. And now my ex finds out where I work and calls. ������

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Monday my manager called me and said HR and privacy managers wanted to speak to me and I as like for what. I figured maybe when I had a patient two days prior I went back through her chart to see if I had charted everything correctly since we switched bloods transfusions from paperwork to computers now.

So so I spoke with them yesterday. Mind you I started in April. They said I accessed two charts, and they had snap shots of these two peoples charts labs, notes vitals etc and I was like whoa, no those people aren't familiar to me I have no idea who they are. it looked like someone spent two hours going through these two peoples charts.

The third person I am guilty of. In April I first started and didn't know epic didn't train on the modules yet. I was just clicking on buttons. A space bar popped up. So on auto pilot i typed in my exes name and was like nope and I backed out. Less than 30 seconds.

Well my ex is pretty much a sociopath and he's doing everything he can to just destroy me like literally. So they brought up i looked at his chart. Only his demographics page. I froze I didn't want them to know my business and if I told them I would've broke down crying from what I've gone through in. The last year with him I froze and lied and said I didn't know him. I denied it I didn't know what to say. Long story short my ex is trying to make my life miserable. One of the privacy managers was like well we heard you know this person. Which it was my exes name. I knew right then my ex called. They didn't suspend me they said we will call you tomorrow. I just didn't feel comfortable telling ppl i barely know my personal business

I drove home home crying I felt so guilty. I can't lie. So I called the privacy manager left her a message then called my boss and asked if I could come in today I wanted to speak to her. I wanted to tell her the entire truth. Like how my ex is harassing me trying to put me in jail etc I met with them and told them the truth and said I love working here but if I have to resign I will. They said wel out investigation isn't done we are still looking. I said I'm not worried I know hippa I did make a mistake I'm sorry for lying. When I mentioned resignation they ignored me. At the end of the meeting I asked so if you go through my epic and find me clear what could happen that I opened my exes file. He said possible termination. ☹️ Mind u I never clicked on anything of his. But my manager was like until pending investigation is through we have to suspend you.

What i I did was wrong. I accept responsibility. I wish I could stop my exes harassment. He's doing this in retaliation because I opened a new account at a bank. Well his sister started working there. I didn't know. I walked in and she must've saw me and locked the door I was so embarrassed once I realized it was her I left quickly. My friend who works for a different branch prompted me a to call customer service and see if she accessed my account. I said no no it's ok. Then a week later I was curious. And she did. Three times without my authorization So I text her and asked her nicely not look into my personal info and I told her that I was given the option to report her and I chose not to. Because it could lead to her termination. She made a rude comment and I left it alone. And now my ex finds out where I work and calls. ������

I wish you the best. I hope you have an attorney. Take your money out of that bank so Sis can't find out your business.

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Just to give a little background I've been very stressed and lacking in nutrition and sleep lately on top of being 8 months pregnant and almost giving birth twice early, when I came back to work I've been making mistakes in the workplace such as many misspellings and even typing the wrong patients in for look up. I accidentally typed a name of a person I kinda know personally in the system and only their name name, dob, and address popped up once I I realized what I did wrong I immediately exed out of it. I believe I had done this because just before I had been having a conversation with someone about the person, so with that person still on my mind i typed in their name by accident if that makes sense. That was not the first time I made the mistake of having the wrong persons info up and immediately x-ing out but it is the first time I typed their name in. I don't want it to seem like I had any malicious intent it was just a mistake of looking at one thing and typing what was on my mind instead which I and I'm sure that other people have done as well. Does this sound like a HIPAA violation I could get fired for? It was an honest mistake and now I am super paranoid! Please help?!?! What should I do?

Can you go out on maternity leave now? Or work fewer hours?

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I wish you the best. I hope you have an attorney. Take your money out of that bank so Sis can't find out your business.

Paid 2000 for my attorney already. Pray everyday. I am an amazing nurse and I'll be damned if I slow a psychopath take away my life.

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