Student nurse gets the boot...veteran nurse fired

[C287]

The worst thing happened to our nursing class today and I just really need to talk to someone other than my fellow students and my family. A couple of students were in the OR observing during clinicals this week and asked a nurse to snap a photo of them holding some recently removed body tissues--in the background of the photo you could see the patient's stomach a little. She posted the photo to her facebook page under all the rest of her nursing school pictures. Someone emailed the photo to our program director. The student who posted it to her facebook has been kicked out, the other one in the photo reprimanded, and the nurse who took the photo has been fired from the hospital. I'm not sure what to be most upset about...the thought that perhaps another student who was a FB friend of this student's emailed this photo with the intent of getting that student kicked out of the program (we are not allowed to have our cell phones) or the fact that the nurse who took the photo was fired (when I worked with her I believe she has been a nurse for 20 some odd years) or the fact that the rest of us have to go back there on monday morning and deal with the consequences and worry about having to lose the nursing school's contract with the hospital--if not for us, for future students! man this all a mess:crying2: sorry about the sloppy writing--I'm distressed.

[egglady, LPN]

If you have a facebook acct, NEVER mention work. Period. and dont do stupid stuff.... They got what they deserved. If I was that patient, I would be soooo mad.

[Karl Farmer]

Not only that, if the patient gets wind of an unauthorized photo having been obtained, expect lawsuits. In this day it's amazing that a nurse would be so foolhardy to even think about such a privacy violation- it's like nursing 101?

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

I agree with everything posted here. You question is if anyone mentions anything ( which I doubt they would) that you feel sad that your fellow students put a veteran nurse in that horrible position. This is a lesson you will never forget.

[rollyp80]

All I can say is learn from the situation and be glad that it was not you. The persons involved did something totally unethical and yes they do deserve the repercussions of their actions. As terrible as they may be.

To you, and your other classmates, just be sure you learn from the situation and be sure to read and understand your nursing practice acts and nursing standards. (http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.aspx) Please understand that we as nurses need to take these standards seriously, because they protect patients, and our jobs.

Be well.

[PediNurse3]

Whoever turned your (former) classmate in absolutely did the right thing. I don't think that doing so makes them spiteful- that picture never should have been taken, much less posted on facebook! Who wants their loved ones excised tissue being played with for a photo op and posted on facebook?

The veteran nurse never should have allowed that picture to be taken and knows better! She is a liability for the hospital, your classmate is a liabitliy for the program and they got the punishments that they deserve. What unprofessional and shameful behavior from those in a profession that people put their trust in.

[JDZ344]

Couple of things, aside from what has already been said:

1. Why on earth did they have a camera/cell phone in the OR? It's supposed to be STERILE in there, or at least as sterile as it can be.

2. Surely there were other people in the OR? An anaesthetist, surgeon, other nurse? I can not believe nobody thought to question what was happening!

They got what they deserved. You said only one student got kicked out? Unfair. The punishment should have been the same for both of them.

[Karl Farmer]

Sterile is for the team, and direct caregivers- otherwise the OR is clean, as in the circulating staff. But I am certain thet school msut have a zero tolerance policy for cell phones in clinicals, if not the school rooms, itself.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

The absolute correct thing happened to all involved, IMO. What in the WORLD were any of them thinking?! EVERYONE who participated should have known better.

A similar situation (HIPAA violation) happened at my school a couple of years before I came through. A student in a clinical group at one hospital admitted a woman to the floor and then texted to a friend/classmate who was in another clinical group at a different hospital "Hey, I just admitted your Grandma!" DOH! As far as I'd heard, she wasn't kicked out of school, but she sure as heck deserved to be!

[carolmaccas66, BSN, RN]

There's an old saying: stand up and face the music. The DON absolutely did the right thing. Confidentiality cannot be breached under any circumstances - that is why there are rules. Until ur standing up in a court of law, you really don't understand how serious this is.

My old boss knew a woman who was not a nurse, she worked in medical records. Well this woman found out her friend was in the hospital having an abortion. She later on bumped into this friend's parents who - unbeknownst to her - were visiting someone else in the hospital. This woman commiserated with them re their daughter's abortion - and the parents knew absolutely nothing about it. It caused a huge ruckus, this woman lost her job and the hospital got fined. The patient was fairly young, so hadn't told her parents she had gotten pregnant, and her parents were very religious.

In the old days, doctors used to perform procedures on patients when they were asleep and all sorts of horrendous things. They used to take body parts off people without their permission, or off babies without the parent's permission, for experimentation. It smacks of nazism and is horrific to think about.

That is why this is all stopped now - thank God.

[onetiredmomma]

Lawsuit in the making....

[SilentfadesRPA]

I dont see why your so dismayed it was a violation and totally inappropriate as well as needing severe repercussions for such a vile and thoughtless act on the parts of the guilty.... think think think

[SydneyJo1]

I have to echo what everyone else has said--that is unprofessional, unethical, insensitive, and stupid. Everyone involved got what they deserved for having such terrible judgement. However, I do feel for you and understand that this situation probably really threw you for a loop. Learn from the mistakes of others, be extremely professional, do NOT discuss the situation with anyone while you are at clinical, do NOT mention it (or anything regarding nursing school, clinical, patients, etc.) on FB, and keep on trucking. Hopefully it will blow over since it was handled decisively and quickly.