"VIP"s in labor

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 19, 2005

To make someone VIP is the same as saying the VIP is more important than any other pt. And i bet the other pts. would be thrilled to learn something like that.

And as far as I know, all that "checking up" on her is pretty much a HIPPA violation. Those people are not in direct patient care and do not need to be updated on her status, am I correct?

Excellent point. And i think it IS a violation.

Balder_LPN, LPN · Oct 19, 2005

there were repeated calls to the floor from both of these departments to "check up on her and find out what's going on."
this is a CLEAR HIPAA VIOLATION for whoever GIVES OUT this information, also a HIPAA violation for anyone to access this information that does not need it to provide healthcare services to the patient. It really is a violation for them to ask for this information as it is not required to do thier job (HIPAA requires access to only the minimum info requried to do your job, ATTEMPTS to access more than this are violations)
I am just a nursing student, but as an IT/ electronic claims/ web person for large health insurance and home health companies I have been working with HIPAA since about 1997, in those days they would send me all the way across the country for a conference just cause some HCFA guy was on one of the panels so we could ask him ONE QUESTION. you couldnt even get thier lawyers:devil: to tell you what HIPAA really covered or not, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ALREADY A LAW!!! There was nothing actually in writing to follow untill april 2003, but you where still responsible to be in compliance BEFORE that (it became law in 1996)
oh well enough of my soapbox on HIPAA, there is probably a thread around here somewhere just for that

KatieBell · Oct 19, 2005

Yikes.

I'm not a L and D nurse- but my goodness, I think if I was a patient VIP or not, I'd resent all that checking up from marketing, as an invasion of a very special time in my life. But then again, everyone is different!

We occasionally get VIP patients via the ED- in general they are put in a private area- mostly to keep other patients away from them. (We had a very famous sports coach who had a severe knee injury and some of the other patients recognized him and went on search to get an autograph)...We tended to be nice to them- but the VIPs we got also tended to be much nicer and more appreciative than our average patients. I think I've had a different experience since I'm in the ED and the VIP admissions are generally shorter. I guess the marketing guys get to them later on.

Despite all that, I think everyone deserves the same treatment. The only thing our VIPS ever get is a private room- in general to keep the other patients away from them!!

mstigerlily · Oct 19, 2005

YES, we have VIPs all time whether they be professional athlete's wives, local rich old money families or even a Media star. How do I know this? Not because they are my patients, but because everyone, even the doctors talk about it.

I just want to vent about something that really burns me. Recently we had an orthopedic surgeon's wife as a pt (I think about 2 months ago). Someone from admitting and marketing was up to the floor every hour to check on her, and there were repeated calls to the floor from both of these departments to "check up on her and find out what's going on." We were all told that she was a "VIP" and should be treated as such.
Now, I don't know about you ladies, but I treat ALL OF MY PATIENTS the same, and provide excellent care to the best of my ability. And as far as I know, all that "checking up" on her is pretty much a HIPPA violation. Those people are not in direct patient care and do not need to be updated on her status, am I correct?
Well, this patient's best friend was up in labor this week, and it was the same story. Admitting and marketing up to the floor to check on her, calling about how she was doing . . . we directed her to the pt's room if she wanted to know how she was doing. She was asking the family if she could get them food and drinks, or anything at all they needed . . . it just really miffed me because all pts should be given the same consideration!!!!
Anyone else run into this on their floor?

rn/writer, RN · Oct 19, 2005

Then you have the flip side. A couple of weeks ago, one of my postpartum patients was the wife of a really prominent cardiac surgeon. She was the sweetest, most unassuming woman. She also worked in health care, but she emphasized that she and her husband wanted to be treated as new parents, NOT as medical professionals. "I'm just a mom right now, and he's just a dad. Don't assume we know everything about our baby because we surely don't."

Neither of them ever once acted like they felt entitled to anything more than our other patients were getting. So of course I fussed over them just because they were incredibly cool people.

Gotta love people like that.

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2005

Besides this being a clear HIPPA violation, I as the patient would not appreciate all those people bothering me at such a private and special time in my life. My family, my nurse, my physician was all that was important to me. My daughter is going to deliever where I work in about 3 weeks. I think they will respect our privacy, if not I will tell them in a nice way.

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 20, 2005

EVERY patient is a "VIP" to me. A VIP who happens to be protected by HIPPA regulations like EVERYONE else.

RNmommy · Oct 20, 2005

I like to treat all of my pts like VIPs but we do often times have "special"pts that the higher ups want to make sure are "well taken care of". That really doesn't bother me. I mean we all want the very best for our friends or family. For instance, my cousin delivered at another hospital and her baby had to be transferred to the NICU. I had a friend from nursing school who happened to work in that NICU. You bet I called her and asked her to make sure that my cousin was "taken care of". And even if she didn't do anything special, my cousin felt much more at ease about being separated from her baby knowing that she had somebody in there "taking extra special care" of him.

However, it is inappropriate for anyone other than direct care givers to be inquiring about patient condition and I would not tolerate that. Often times, nurses from other floor deliver their babies here and their coworkers will call the nursing station and say "i didn't want to bother her but how is she doing?" I'll just giggle and say "you know I can't tell you. But I can transfer you to her room. hahahaha" I try not to make a big deal about it but I get my point across.

Saoudishabiba · Oct 20, 2005

I worked at a hospital while pregnant several years ago. I delivered at that same hospital. The baby was very large (10 lbs 8 oz) and it was a difficult delivery. I returned to work 12 weeks later and the nursing supervisor said "it is nice to see you back. I am surprised your crotch healed that quickly." I was appalled! We were standing at the nurse's station with several other nurses, patients, and families!! The nerve of some people!:angryfire

SmilingBluEyes · Oct 20, 2005

I worked at a hospital while pregnant several years ago. I delivered at that same hospital. The baby was very large (10 lbs 8 oz) and it was a difficult delivery. I returned to work 12 weeks later and the nursing supervisor said "it is nice to see you back. I am surprised your crotch healed that quickly." I was appalled! We were standing at the nurse's station with several other nurses, patients, and families!! The nerve of some people!:angryfire

THIS is partly why I think the whole "VIP" concept is for the birds. Treat everyone the same, and protect their privacy in the same way. If you treat them well, you won't have problems.:angryfire

Newbie Nurse SMP · Oct 20, 2005

Oh Gosh Wendy...I am mortified for you! How could she have said something like that to you. WOW..people do not think before they speak!

I am sorry that you had to deal with that, but congrats on your baby!!