URGENT!!! Did I miss up?! Can I get in trouble?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am looking for opinions, I am not sure if I did something wrong or not.

A fellow co-workers husband past away. They have two kids; we are all raising money for them in various ways. I decided to raise instead of money, things for the kids. I contacted some local companies for the kids in order to give back to them for the summer.

I emailed some companies (Fun kids type places) with my OWN PERSONAL EMAIL ADDRESS (Not work email) not during work hours, at home during my own personal time, and told them a co-worker of mine lost her husband unexpected and her two young kids suddenly lost there father.

I stated I was looking to see if there was anything they could do to help these kids out through one of the hardest summers of there life as there mom deserves it as she is a so and so nurse at so and so hospital and as given up so much of her life helping others and deserves it so much.

I'm concerned because I said the Hospital Name in the email. I did NOT use a hospital letter head or anything, I didn't use hospital contact info, email, phone numbers, anything. Everything was my own personal stuff.

Specializes in Critical Care.

It's not a HIPAA violation, but that doesn't mean it can't raise the hackles of your employer since there are really very few limits on that. It would seem unlikely that your hospital would fire you knowing you could go the media and say such-and-such hospital fired me for trying to help a widowed coworker.

I would be horrified if someone sent details about my personal problems to various businesses around town. Is your friend OK with this???

It's not a HIPAA violation, but that doesn't mean it can't raise the hackles of your employer since there are really very few limits on that. It would seem unlikely that your hospital would fire you knowing you could go the media and say such-and-such hospital fired me for trying to help a widowed coworker.

I did not actually accept anything yet. I have had companies offer free passes for the kids and such and then I thought twice about it. I can't think of anything that would be wrong about it, but I want more opinions.

I would be horrified if someone sent details about my personal problems to various businesses around town. Is your friend OK with this???

I could most def see your concern with this. It was private, but now, not. During that private time, it was completely respected. There is a go fund me that is circulating all over public social media and it is widely known throughout.

There was a small scene at my school when I was in Kindergarten. My parents made a homemade ghost costume for me by cutting holes in a sheet. Of course, little kid that I was, I could not maneuver the costume and stayed behind in the classroom while my classmates went on the costume parade. I was crying, I suppose. Somebody must have said something to somebody else, because another kid's parents got costumes for my brother and me and sent them home for us. My father hit the roof and made us return the costumes. I don't know which was more humiliating, missing the parade, or returning someone's act of kindness taken the wrong way. That was my father's reaction to people discussing the fact that our family was too poor to buy commercial Halloween costumes. I can only imagine how he would have reacted to the OP's efforts or a modern-day Go Fund Me campaign. People were proud in those days.

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

I'd be more concerned about your coworker than your employer. Personally I'd be mortified. Many set up go fund me and promote without ever consulting the recipient. My closest friends know if anything ever happens and go find me pops up claiming to be on my or my immediate family's behalf shut them down as fraudsters doing unauthorized soliciting

Your heart may have been in the right place

A few aides at my son's school have grossly overstepped professional boundaries, making erroneous assumptions. My son doesn't usually want to make them feel bad but all they had to do was ask rather than assume. My kid has a few potentially devastating diagnoses pending. I'm not permitted to share with school staff as they cant keep their mouths shut and noses out of personal business. The nurse knows and she agreed with my son's request.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I could most def see your concern with this. It was private, but now, not. During that private time, it was completely respected. There is a go fund me that is circulating all over public social media and it is widely known throughout.

Does the widow approve of the GoFundMe account? If so, then that is how you should help her. If not, it should not be done. It was not your place to decide that a public collection should be taken and that the widow's private troubles should be spead to local businesses. You should only do things the widow has asked for or at least, approved.

... and you should never use your employer's name to try to get money from people. The employer's name is not "yours" to exploit.

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