dedward

First, let me say I work with very much the same population as police officers, parole officers, judges, social workers. As far as I am aware, all of them carry guns for protection because their names are known to these patients. In fact, they usually are involved in the referral process, and/or transport the patients to us. Second, many of these patients can be quite violent, both in, and outside of the facility. Many of them have spent significant amounts of time in prison, and are used to having violence as a normal occurrence in their lives. I routinely receive patients in handcuffs, shackles, and accompanied by more than one officer, due to safety concerns. I am 6 feet tall, 230lbs, so I'm not concerned about myself, as much as my family, although I have been threatened, and even injured in the past by a violent patient. I have had patients try repeatedly to find out my name and where I live. (asking coworkers, or other patients that may know me.) One of our techs recently had a patient turn up at her front door, acting very strangely. This surprised and upset her. Her 2 adult sons were there at the time, and escorted the person off the property. I also frequently work with a woman from mobile crisis that was stalked by a male patient who got her name from the records he requested after discharge from another facility. Several of our nurses have indeed been threatened and stalked in the parking lot by patients. Security will escort them to their cars, but when they leave hospital property, they are very much on their own. All that's needed now to find someone's home address is a name and an internet connection. I make a point to leave my job at the hospital. I do not relish the idea of it coming to my house.

I work in an adult mental health and drug detox unit. We were recently informed that the patient's will soon have access to Portal, so they can look at their records online after discharge....records which include nurses names, and our documentation. Has this happened to anyone else? I have no problem with giving them printed records- with the names redacted, but I DO NOT want them to be able to find out where I live.