Pt confidentiality

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I am not a new nurse. I don't usually repeat anything I hear at work but I still have some questions re confidentiality.

If you heard something while on duty and wanted to repeat it, how do you make sure you are covered with respect to confidentiality. For instance I heard an MD make a comment about a pt. I don't know the doctor's name, I don't know the pt's name. Would it be safe to repeat this? And would it be ok in any forum, say even Face Book? (My thought being if you could say it there you could say it anywhere.) I hear educational stuff, I hear funny stuff and the truth be told, I couldn't tell anyone who said it, when it was said or who it was about. Not if even if it was tell or go to jail. I am sure the least said the best said but still....Is there a litmus test for confidentiality? I have seen confidentiality broken many times over the course of my career but I don't want to be the one doing it.

Thanks for any feedback. I love, love!, the range of comments I garner. So thanks to anyone taking the time to read this, looking past my poor written communication skills, figuring out what I mean, and taking the time to reply to my query.

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Well, sorry if this sounds mean, but I doubt you are a nurse at all. If you had attended nursing school and had finished orientation at any healthcare facility, you would know the answers to these questions.

This question screams made-up question with a new made-up account.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

I don't EVER post anything about work on facebook. Ever. Not a good day, not a bad day, most people probably wouldn't know I'm a nurse from my facebook unless they read my place of employment. It's for pictures of my kids and pets, that way I will never accidentally violate anything. What is it that you heard from a doctor that you want to repeat? Why? If there is a patient identifier of any sort attached, you could be violating HIPAA. Even if you don't use a name or a birthdate, if someone could identify the person you mention, it's a violation. I think I remember someone being fired because they talked about treating a softball player after an injury and they mentioned something about the patient. It was argued that people in the area could identify the patient because of the injury described and the nurse was fired. Best bet is to just keep your mouth and keyboard shut about anything work related.

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Aug 10 by Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM

Jory has 10 years experience as a MSN, APRN, CNM.

1,189 Likes; 1 Follower; 1,338 Posts; 11,905 Profile Views

Well, sorry if this sounds mean, but I doubt you are a nurse at all. If you had attended nursing school and had finished orientation at any healthcare facility, you would know the answers to these questions.

This question screams made-up question with a new made-up account.

Actually I am laughing reading YOUR comment. I am always hesitant to post a question because of the responses like this that I get.

If you look a little deeper into my account you will see I AM NOT in fact new to this site, I just don't feel the need to voice my every thought, either here or on facebook. Let me see prove I am a nurse? My first thought is to say no but, and I am sorry if this sounds mean, I am a nurse. In fact I probably work for you. I work for a lot of people that have so many letters after their name, so much education and yet they have no real life experience. I love working for ppl , perhaps like you, that have gone to school and went from HS to a college program that gives you a BSN and then an MSN and yet you never worked a day in your life as an RN. People that want to spout evidence based care without ever giving care.

Oh, I do apologize. For all I know you are the troll. I asked a simple question, basically what is the litmus test for maintaining pt's confidentiality? If you didn't know, why bother to answer? And, sorry to repeat myself, this is why I am marked as a new poster. So many people seeking to pop off. I may as a question about "X" med and I get (ppl like you) ppl that turn it into a personal attack for using "X" med. Omg! I deal with ppl like you daily. I guess my biggest mistake was asking nurses for help and assuming anyone that was on this nice site would be helpful.

Yes, I now see it does say "New Member" but I am not a new member here.

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On 8/10/2019 at 10:55 AM, JBMmom said:

I don't EVER post anything about work on facebook. Ever. Not a good day, not a bad day, most people probably wouldn't know I'm a nurse from my facebook unless they read my place of employment. It's for pictures of my kids and pets, that way I will never accidentally violate anything. What is it that you heard from a doctor that you want to repeat? Why? If there is a patient identifier of any sort attached, you could be violating HIPAA. Even if you don't use a name or a birthdate, if someone could identify the person you mention, it's a violation. I think I remember someone being fired because they talked about treating a softball player after an injury and they mentioned something about the patient. It was argued that people in the area could identify the patient because of the injury described and the nurse was fired. Best bet is to just keep your mouth and keyboard shut about anything work related.

Aug 10 by JBMmom, MSN

JBMmom has 6 years experience as a MSN and specializes in Long term care; med-surg; critical care.

I apologize for my rant with the other "nurse." If you look at my account info you can see I have had an account here since 2009. Probably longer then the flamer that was sorry for being mean has been a nurse.

Since I will probably now lose this account this is what I wanted to tell someone. I heard a resident tell an attending about a pt. He said "He is an elderly male, approx 50, 51 years old and................." That was all I heard. I found it pretty funny that this resident that was all of 20 years old (well he looked 20) was telling the doctor who was easily in his 60's that 50 was "elderly." I didn't know the doctors, didn't know the pt. It was not something I would think to post to FB but may repeat when telling nursing stories. I do keep my mouth shut but this struck me a funny. And to be clear, I also said in my comment :

1) I didn't know the MD

2.) I didn't know the pt

3.) I couldn't ID either one if I was forced to try.

I do appreciate you response, an a much kinder one, but not exactly what I was looking for. Unless the measure of if it is not a violation is "Can you ID the pt from the info given."

Honestly I should have, as you suggest, have just kept my mouth shut and not posted here in the first place. I wasn't trying to start a flame war and I probably responded to a troll, but I was under the impress from other posts I have read that this was a site where nurses could educate themselves. I am well educated enough to know I didn't learn half of what I needed to know to be a nurse in nursing school. I would say I will not post here again, but most of the ppl have been helpful in their replied. But to take falk from some "nurse" because I wondered if "He was an elderly pt, 50 or 51" violated confidentiality.......well, wasn't worth it.

Again, thank you for your reply. Please look at my account info and see I have been here for 10 years.

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On 8/10/2019 at 5:55 AM, Jory said:

Well, sorry if this sounds mean, but I doubt you are a nurse at all. If you had attended nursing school and had finished orientation at any healthcare facility, you would know the answers to these questions.

This question screams made-up question with a new made-up account.

And if I didn't make it clear, sorry if this is mean, but I have been on this site longer then you by 3 years. So I was on this site probably before you obtained your nursing degree.

And, I don't think you are sorry at all for sounding mean.

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I’m too lazy to go back looking for them but I think several others posters have mentioned posting on social media about work issues, frustrations, venting, “funny stories” and ended up in a world of trouble.

While not a HIPAA issue if enough information is redacted your employer may feel your statements violate their social media policy if their facility is in anyway mentioned in your profile. I would say think twice and tread very carefully.

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The HIPAA challenges section is quite easy to find. Especially having been here since 2009 and all.

That is a funny comment. If you wanted to mention it on FB you could do so by not even mentioning that it was about a patient. "I heard a 20 something doctor (person) tell a 60 year old doctor (person) that a 50 year old person was elderly. Thought it was funny." And leave it at that. A no brainier, really.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

STAFF NOTE - DEBATE THE TOPIC, NOT THE POSTER PLEASE

Its always best to refrain from repeating anything from a work situation. At allnurses.com we have found it is very common for people to have poster's remorse ie., they've said something they wished they hadn't, it was taken the wrong way or it left them identifiable.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

I don't even post who my employer is on Facebook. I post nothing, zilch, zero about work

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On 8/20/2019 at 1:49 AM, Irving said:

And if I didn't make it clear, sorry if this is mean, but I have been on this site longer then you by 3 years. So I was on this site probably before you obtained your nursing degree.

And, I don't think you are sorry at all for sounding mean.

If you have really been a nurse longer than me then you should be:

1: Familiar with HIPAA guidelines. They are not hard to follow.

2: Be old enough to exercise some self-control and realize not everything about your job belongs on social media. This is also, not hard for most professional women. Patients are not sources of entertainment.

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On 8/20/2019 at 1:28 AM, Irving said:

Aug 10 by Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM

Jory has 10 years experience as a MSN, APRN, CNM.

1,189 Likes; 1 Follower; 1,338 Posts; 11,905 Profile Views

Well, sorry if this sounds mean, but I doubt you are a nurse at all. If you had attended nursing school and had finished orientation at any healthcare facility, you would know the answers to these questions.

This question screams made-up question with a new made-up account.

Actually I am laughing reading YOUR comment. I am always hesitant to post a question because of the responses like this that I get.

If you look a little deeper into my account you will see I AM NOT in fact new to this site, I just don't feel the need to voice my every thought, either here or on facebook. Let me see prove I am a nurse? My first thought is to say no but, and I am sorry if this sounds mean, I am a nurse. In fact I probably work for you. I work for a lot of people that have so many letters after their name, so much education and yet they have no real life experience. I love working for ppl , perhaps like you, that have gone to school and went from HS to a college program that gives you a BSN and then an MSN and yet you never worked a day in your life as an RN. People that want to spout evidence based care without ever giving care.

Oh, I do apologize. For all I know you are the troll. I asked a simple question, basically what is the litmus test for maintaining pt's confidentiality? If you didn't know, why bother to answer? And, sorry to repeat myself, this is why I am marked as a new poster. So many people seeking to pop off. I may as a question about "X" med and I get (ppl like you) ppl that turn it into a personal attack for using "X" med. Omg! I deal with ppl like you daily. I guess my biggest mistake was asking nurses for help and assuming anyone that was on this nice site would be helpful.

Yes, I now see it does say "New Member" but I am not a new member here.

1. I never asked you to prove anything. Not my job on here.

2. Again, HIPAA should have covered your question...it is required yearly at my job and at most facilities.

3. I never stated you were not a nurse, I said I doubted you were a nurse. I just can't imagine any nurse in this day and age not getting HIPAA training and being unfamiliar with HIPAA regulations.

If someone claimed to be a nurse for 10 years said they didn't know what PRN or IV meant, would you believe they were a nurse?

4. You can falsely bash my education if you wish..you are incorrect about your assumptions...evidence based care isn't the topic you posted...you can message me privately and we can debate any EB care topic you wish...so you say, "People that want to spout evidence based care without ever giving care" yet we are not discussing evidence based care we are discussing HIPAA and your admitted lack of understanding the guidelines.

Unless, of course, you are confused on the differences between evidence based care and HIPAA. Sounds like you may be.

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