MikeyBSN

In many areas of nursing, I hear nurses call each other "sister". As a man in nursing, they call me and other male nurses "brother." I work in the U.S. but I know it's actually more common in other countries. From what I have read, the "sister" designation comes from Catholic nuns who ran hospital wards and were referred to as "the Sister." Also, I read that in some countries in Europe nurses are not called "nurses" but "sisters." Regardless of the origins, what do you think of this practice? Is it used where you work? Should it be kept? I think it helps keep nursing a unique and tightly-knit field by conveying the idea that fellow nurses are sisters, and brothers.

I read that sharing salary information is good for workers and professional sectors in general. There are other salary surveys out there, but I wanted to know what the Allnurses members make based on their location and experience. This is for direct care nurses only. If you want to participate, please answer the questions below. I will also try to post a general poll. State: NJ Geography (i.e. urban, sub-urban, rural): sub-urban Degree (i.e. ADN, BSN, MSN): BSN Employer type (i.e. hospital, school): Hospital Years of Nursing Experience: 7 Union member (yes/no): no Salary per hour: 37.00 This applies to full time and part-time nurses, not per diem since benefit costs affect base salaries. Do not include shift differentials or certificate differentials. I'll go first.

I am considering obtaining an MSN focused in nursing education with the goal of teaching nursing courses. I would like to use an online method with flexible hours since my current schedule is very busy. The concern I have is that the online schools require you to find your own practicum site and mentor, and some do not allow you to use your current employer. Did anyone have a problem finding a good mentor and practicum site? What happens if I am not able to find a mentor or practicum site? Has anyone run into this problem? Do traditional schools set their students up with mentors and sites or it the process pretty much the same as using an online school? Thanks in advance.

Yes, this is a clear HIPAA violation. Why? 1) the date and time of the birth is in the medical record, which makes it PHI. Plus, 2) the picture of the baby is a clear identifier. My son could be easily identified from his baby pictures alone. You employer could be charged with violating HIPAA, through your actions.

Hi there, you should know that the seroconversion rate for nurses suck with needles from an HIV + patient is very low - and that was before post-exposure prophylaxis. If the patient was on anti-retorviral therapy then that decreases your chances of seroconversion. Taking medication yourself also greatly decreases that chance that you will seroconvert. Overall... I think your chances of seroconversion are very, very slim. I hope this helps make you feel a bit better. Just keep an eye out and, in the worst case, get treatment quickly.

It sounds like you are not cut out for that kind of nursing. A circumcision is a fairly routine and common procedure; I'm not sure why a nurse would have a problem with it. Maybe you should try something that does not involve physical illness (bloods, pain, etc.).

There is no "nursing shortage"; my guess is that this is some myth that some educational institution told you before plunging you into tens of thousands of dollars of debt.

This isn't true.

Generally, no. Physicians in a hospital are often independent contractors; unlike nurses who are often employed by the hospital. The hospital administration is your "boss". That doesn't mean a physician cannot make a complaint against you, but you don't work for them. You must, of course, follow the policies and procedures of the hospital. But a physician isn't the boss of you just because he or she has "MD" or "DO" after his or her name.

No. What I said was quite clear: nurses cannot be punished by under the federal statute. They can, however, face ramifications under ancillary state laws and employer procedures for certain actions that might also fall under HIPAA. And I disagree with you that the point is a purely intellectual one. HIPAA violations carry the threat of federal jailtime and extensive civil monetary damages that might not be available under any of the other rules or statutes that apply to nurses. I can think of situations in which an employer might "remind" a nurse of federal prosecution and fines for a HIPAA violation in an attempt to get her to leave quietly and not file any kind of legitimate action against the employer. And I'm sure that many of the nurses here who think they might have violated HIPAA are worried about all of the potential consequences including, oh I don't know, federal jailtime. Finally, even if the post is "purely intellectual", it still serves to remedy the widespread misconception held in nursing that staff nurses are susceptible to statutory HIPAA penalties.

True, with respect to a covered entity. One must be a "covered entity" to be prosecuted. HIPAA defines covered entities as certain health plans and a few other groups, the one closest to nurses defines covered entities as health care providers who submit electronic health claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Since most nurses do not even have provider numbers, I do not see how they can be covered entities. The law imposes on the covered entity a fine or other penalty for violating HIPAA through their "workforce", which includes nurses. But I still do not see how the individual nurse is a covered entity. As for the examples provided by Esme, it looks like one was a provider and the other two were ultimately punished under state privacy laws. I suppose the feds could always threaten HIPAA, but I don't know of any published opinion by any court that construes "covered entity" to include staff nurses.

I see a lot of HIPAAphobia in the nursing realm. I have read several stories about nurses terrified of being fined or being exposed to criminal penalties for HIPAA violations. I have read in nursing text and literature about HIPAA violations and consequences. I am, however, skeptical of the idea that a run-of-the-mill staff nurse can be charged with a HIPAA/HITECH violation. To be clear, a nurse can certainly be punished by the BON, fired, and subject to civil suit under state law (or even criminal law depending on the state and the circumstances). I am, however, hard-pressed to find any justification for Uncle Sam punishing a nurse under HIPAA/HITECH. The way I see it, HIPAA/HITECH cannot be used to enforce penalties against an individual staff nurse. Can anyone prove me wrong?

If your post includes everything you posted on FB, then it is not a HIPAA violation. There are no patient identifiers, no name of the facility, and no PHI. You may have broken some school policy, but you did not violate HIPAA, and probably did not violate any BON regulation or state law (though it is impossible to know this for sure without knowing what state you are in). Nurses get so worked up about HIPAA. It is true that a HIPAA violation can get you fired, in trouble with the board or even slapped with a civil suit (though not for violating HIPAA itself). Nurses cannot, however, be punished by the feds for violating HIPAA/HITECH, at least not in my estimation. I do no see how HIPAA applies to the run of the mill staff nurse. Nurses should be more worried about protecting patient confidentiality as a part of the profession then a scary acronym created by the feds.

I would make sure you can cover it during an interview.

This post is 100% inaccurate. You have a right to your own information under HIPAA and there is no witness requirement to obtain it. Further, doubt a student nurse is even covered under HIPAA. It is, at most, a violation of hospital policy (and it would stupid and arbitrary policy at that).