two questions

[UtErRnEmt]

i don't know enough about legal nursing but maybe someone can advise.

the manager of my department can read any email we send or recieve via hospital email. i would think this is an invasion of privacy.

also the manager can and does check what is going on in the hospital department by checking her computer at home. as the computer program shows pt names is this a hippa violation as she is not directly involved with pt care.

thanks in advance

[catlynLPN]

They can monitor your emails on your computer at work.

If it's anything you don't want anyone to see best thing is

not do it at work. Keep it at home.

The other part of your question, about the manager monitoring what's going on at home......I don't know for sure on that one.

I do know of an administrator of a nursing home, though, who monitors what goes on at the job, while she's at home. She has the computers all hooked up to hers at home, and she can see it live. They have camera surveillance.

[lucky1RN]

In my experience, an employer can access information on your employer-provided computer. In fact, a very large law firm I worked at used employee emails to bust an internal drug-ring. Keep it professional and you'll stay out of trouble.

The managers at my hospital access pt info from home. I don't see that they are any less entitled to that information than the charge nurse, the house supervisor, or the CEO for that matter. These people have access to pt info to ensure the smooth and safe operation of the hospital. Now if they were to use that information inappropriately...that would be another story.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Work email is just that, for work in a professional environment. Not for any other purpose. Yes, it can and is read by the higher ups.

Nowadays, yes, managers and others do check on pts at home. I do it all the time. Not only in my own clinics, but I cehck on my pts in the hospitals too. Nothing unprofessional in that as they will be returning to my care when they are discharged and frequnetly need f/u.

[TazziRN, RN]

1. ANY employer has the right to monitor email use. As long as that information is provided to you, there is no privacy violation. You know it going it.

2. There is no HIPAA violation unless your manager shares the information with her friends and family. She, as the manager, is ultimately responsible for the pts on her unit, therefore she has access to the info.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Our facility has us sign a security agreement that clearly states the computer is a work tool, not a private toy. Well, the wording is different but that is the gist of it.

As for watching from home --- the manager does have a need to know about every patient on the unit. That is why this person is the manager.

[RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

when you are on their computers, you are theirs. no privacy allowed. i understand that you have downtime sometimes, but dont matter, you are on work time/property