Pt assignment in trash

[Mama Nurse 7]

I found a patient assignment in the trash in a patient/visitor accessed area which contained sensitive patient information. I turned the assignment in to my manager which a few days later I was terminated for the reason that I was out to sabotage my peers by reporting that I found the assignment. Is this a true hippa violation and can I report my former employer.

[Emergent, RN]

You were fired for being a thorn in the side of your manager and coworkers. Your tattle telling was a time consuming annoyance to the manager. It also made your coworkers dislike you.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

she was not suggesting the charge was guilty, but that the charge suggested she do it. the charge refused a small request for help with a smart orifice answer. and no where does it say she went digging thru the trash. and if you don't report that stuff, you are also guilty of a HIPAA violation.

But what the charge did/didn't do wasn't patient abandonment. Further more where did the OP state she found the piece of paper on the top? Also, when the OP confront her coworker on tossing papers that should be shredded in public trash? Why run straight to management? It's one thing if she talked to her coworker & she didn't stop but did the OP even attempt to sit her down & ask why her coworker was putting the paper in the public trash?

The common denominator was the OP. She put a target on her back when she ran to management for every little thing instead of discussing the issue with the person she has a problem with.

[CalArmy]

I think you need to spend less time trying to get people in trouble and more time becoming a good team player.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

But what the charge did/didn't do wasn't patient abandonment. Further more where did the OP state she found the piece of paper on the top? Also, when the OP confront her coworker on tossing papers that should be shredded in public trash? Why run straight to management? It's one thing if she talked to her coworker & she didn't stop but did the OP even attempt to sit her down & ask why her coworker was putting the paper in the public trash?

The common denominator was the OP. She put a target on her back when she ran to management for every little thing instead of discussing the issue with the person she has a problem with.

Neither was it stated it was not on the top, how would she know to whom to return it? any nurse should know better and not need a friendly reminder

[Jolie, BSN]

any nurse should know better and not need a friendly reminder

You are absolutely right. Any nurse should know not to improperly discard papers containing PHI and not need a reminder.

Any nurse should also know to arrive to work early, fully dressed in uniform, clock in on-time, never eat or drink on the unit, never take a personal phone call, never fail to introduce him/herself to each patient and family, never miss hourly rounding, never administer a medication or treatment late, never forget to document, never accidentally walk into the wrong room, never misplace a patient item, never forget to return a phone call, never inadvertently walk into or out of an isolation room improperly attired, etc., etc., etc. and not need a friendly reminder.

But we all do.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

looking down into a trashcan and seeing the topmost paper, is not going thru the trash. I have also seen such inappropriately disposed of papers, and have removed them, and properly disposed of them. yes it is a HIPAA issue. the patient abandonment issue is an odd way to put it, but her charge WAS refusing to help her with a small request, I think charge has/had an agenda.

My charge nurse always has an agenda...you know, running a whole high-acuity unit and all. Once "and all" included responding to two codes, and leaving the unit to help with an ECMO cannulation. It's totally reasonable to expect the RN to realize that she still has other pts -- even when settling an admit.

By reporting the charge RN for "suggesting pt abandonment," the OP made a VERY serious and VERY FALSE allegation. I'd be watching my back if someone told a lie like that about me -- I can't trust someone like that.