The public just doesn't get it.

[deespoohbear]

The public just doesn't get it. The confidentiality thing. Yesterday at work, I got a phone call. I answer the phone "Med/Surg, this is ....," Caller "Is John Doe there?" I could tell right away that this was NOT a family member. I reply, "may I ask who is calling?" "A neighbor." "Sorry, I can't release any information." "His wife ask me to take care of their dogs and I need to see how he is doing." "Sorry, I can't release any info. You should try to contact the family." "I just need to know, is he there." "I can't release any info." "Can I talk to your charge nurse." "She is assisting with a procedure (which she really was) and can't come to the phone. But she will tell you that we can't release any information." Then I hear a click.

Funny thing was, this lady had called our ICU right before she called me. She told the ICU nurse that she thought the pt was right outside of the ICU because the ICU was full and couldn't take him. The ICU nurse told her that she didn't know who was out on our floor. (We work at a small facility) The lady tried the same nonsense with the ICU nurse. Some people just never give up.

Gee, I hate the telephone sometimes.

[RNforLongTime]

Originally posted by shannonRN

my favorite is when 13 people call during one shift to ask for an update on their ___. we spend so much time dealing with the callers and explaining that they need to have one person designated to obtain updates and then the rest of the family can call them....they don't get it. even better is when they complain that ___ hasn't been medicated for pain and he asked for it 5 minutes ago. well, gee, if i didn't have to stop and talk to you he would have had it already!!!

Exactly!!!! And what gets me even more is that the Unit Clerk will pull us out of a room to tell us that So and So's aunts cousins mother is on the phone and would like an update!!! Hello!!!! The Unit Clerk knows darn well that we can't give out that info to just anyone! Why can't the unit clerk do this for us? And to pull me out of a room when I am in the middle of a procedure to boot! No matter what you do some people are just a$$holes!!

[RNforLongTime]

Originally posted by RoadRunner

We always ask for the relation between our patient and the caller before giving any infos and oh! the nerves of some people; the neighbor, the girl who works with her, the mother of his school friend (yes!), the rabbi, and the ever popular cousin from far far away calling long distance...

Yes but how do you verify that the person on the other side of the phone is who they say they are? Like a first line blood relative of the patient. I'm not referring to their next door neighbor or great Aunt Martha here. If you can't see the number on the phone, what I was taught to do in my new job in a SICU which handles a LOT of trauma pts is ask that person for their number and call them back. If that same person answers the phone then you should be alright. I only do this if the person requesting info over the phone is listed on the pt's contact list. It's hard and with the new HIPPA it's gonna be even harder as people will lie steal and cheat to get the info that they want.