Protecting the patient already died does not make any sense!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

My patients was HIV+ and he died during a central line insertion...

It is tragic...but that is another story.

What upset me the most is....his future wife came to the unit and she is pregnant. We the nurses are not allowed to share that confidential information with his future wife.... It does not make any sense at all.

What do you think about this....Does it make any sense to you at all?

Shouldn't we let that girl know that her future husband was HIV+....

The future wife needs to consult with the pt's Dr's. They can discuss this with her as far as options etc. It's not the nurses place to do this. Be sure that the physican knows that the person needs to have a consultation with him/her. If they refuse , go to the ethics commitee. But, never discuss such a dx as a nurse to such a person. I know it sounds reiculous but, welcome to the world of medicine vs, law suites.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
By law, she did the wrong thing...

Speaking for my conscience, I will give her a "Purple Heart."

I would have to disagree with this... if the patient's confidentiality is protected by law and you took an oath to follow that law, then you have broken your word and hence, proven yourself untrustworthy. If there was some degree of wiggle room, that would be different, but there isn't.

It would be nice if we could make allowances for ''why'' we choose to violate oaths, but we can't. Either we mean what we say or we don't. It is most unfortunate for those involved in our patients' lives if they are impacted by the decisions our patients make, but we don't get to be the arbitrators.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
I would have to disagree with this... if the patient's confidentiality is protected by law and you took an oath to follow that law, then you have broken your word and hence, proven yourself untrustworthy. If there was some degree of wiggle room, that would be different, but there isn't.

It would be nice if we could make allowances for ''why'' we choose to violate oaths, but we can't. Either we mean what we say or we don't. It is most unfortunate for those involved in our patients' lives if they are impacted by the decisions our patients make, but we don't get to be the arbitrators.

Well said, mercy!

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That is true...I almost wrote down...if I had the power, I would close it...

But since I had no power...forget it....

I did not say it was you...I did not even say you are irresponsible...I am so sorry that you are so sensitive and takes thing so personal....when I say "you"...I don't mean kukukajoo....I meant the ones that keep on assuming that this poor girl might have found out about it....

It is good thing if she has found out...

What happened if she did not....

Assuming something is just like flapping a coin just to get the result...the unfortunately thing is the coin does not always give you the positive result.

One last thing...this one is for the Allnurses Administration...

PLEASE CLOSE THIS THREAD FOR GOOD.

I'm "ASSUMING" you are talking about me here. Just because I want to know if the woman is aware of her deceased fiances HIV status in no way means that I am irresponsible. The law states that you cannot tell her. That is where the problem is coming from.... Not the nurse who can't say anything.

My issue is if she knows, I would like to find out if she is aware there are steps she can take to prevent the spread to her infant and other ways she can protect herself and any future partners she may have. I'm looking long term. That is all. If that is irresponsible, then so be it.

There is a lot of assuming going on around here. "Yes it is too bad you can't tell her, but there has to be another way..."

Maybe most posters here are trying to get to the bottom of the problem and find a way to figure it out from there. Just my thought.

I'm done now...

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.
I would have to disagree with this... if the patient's confidentiality is protected by law and you took an oath to follow that law, then you have broken your word and hence, proven yourself untrustworthy. If there was some degree of wiggle room, that would be different, but there isn't.

It would be nice if we could make allowances for ''why'' we choose to violate oaths, but we can't. Either we mean what we say or we don't. It is most unfortunate for those involved in our patients' lives if they are impacted by the decisions our patients make, but we don't get to be the arbitrators.

Excellent point of view!!!

I have no intention to cross the line...

And this is the reason why I post this thread here...

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.
I'm "ASSUMING" you are talking about me here. Just because I want to know if the woman is aware of her deceased fiances HIV status in no way means that I am irresponsible. The law states that you cannot tell her. That is where the problem is coming from.... Not the nurse who can't say anything.

My issue is if she knows, I would like to find out if she is aware there are steps she can take to prevent the spread to her infant and other ways she can protect herself and any future partners she may have. I'm looking long term. That is all. If that is irresponsible, then so be it.

There is a lot of assuming going on around here. "Yes it is too bad you can't tell her, but there has to be another way..."

Maybe most posters here are trying to get to the bottom of the problem and find a way to figure it out from there. Just my thought.

I'm done now...

I have been working in the ICU since last year....and I only focus on right here and right now...

When the girl showing up in the unit...that is the best time to talk to her about it...because once she left...there is great risk that she will never find out until she is not feeling well in the clinic...that is too late..isn't it...

We the nurses spend most of the time with the patients...not the doctors...in real life...the doctors are not the ones that you see in Grey's Anatomy, or ER, or House M.D....Some doctors just don't care about anything...and this is real...I have no intention to belittle anyone right here...If you get offended by me...then I will make an apology.

I just feel sorry for that girl, the next time I see her; she must be hospitalized.....

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You really have no obligation to the woman as you have not established a nurse::patient relationship, but I can see where you are coming from.

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.
You really have no obligation to the woman as you have not established a nurse::patient relationship, but I can see where you are coming from.

...Just don't want to see part that we always call "the human suffering..."

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