I need some opinions. The other night I was helping out in PACU. (I am usually in ER or Preop, but occasionally go to PACU when needed) I was asked by another nurse to transport her patient upstairs. The patient was early 30's female, very nice, always saying thanks when people helped her. We talked as I took her to her room. She had surgery for a cancer recurrence, so we talked about the surgery, her young kids, her family, etc. It was shift change, so I ended up having to wait with her for quite a while to see her nurse, the PACU nurse has to have face to face time with the receiving floor nurse. During this time we chatted some more. Then I left when her nurse got there.
The next day I was off. I was thinking about this patient and how nice she was. I called her room to check on her. I just let her know I had been thinking about her, and asked how she was doing...get well soon, etc. She seemed very appreciative.
A few days later I told her PACU nurse that I had spoken with her. This nurse was very offended with me and said I had broken HIPPAA (sp?) laws by calling the patient to check on her. Is this true? I just thought I was being nice. When I had my daughter, the L&D nurse called the next day to check on me. I know hospitals can be lonely places and thought one might like to hear a friendly voice and know someone was thinking of them.
Specializes in Med/Surge, Geriatrics(LTC), Pediatricts,.
All be it a well meaning gesture, you probably are in violation of the HIPPA laws. Since you took pt information out of the facility and contacted them directly. Read your facilities policy on contacting a pt weather they are still an admission or have been discharged. Remember, pts are in the hospital for rest and recuperation, not to chat. And our (nurses) refraining from calling them keeps the call volume more in check. It'd be different if this pt were a family member of yours, and you were calling as a family member, and not a concerned nurse. Save your well wishes for when you are bedside. Back before the HIPPA rules started and I worked in a small rural hospital, we, the staff and nurses on the night shift, used to send a get well card to the pt when they were discharged home, or if the pt died we'd send a sympathy card to the family. When the HIPPA laws came into effect, we were no longer alowed to do this gesture. Rationale, we were taking information, the pts mailing address, out of a confidential chart. We thought we were well meaning, and showing concern. But according to the HIPPA rules we were in violation of the rules. We stoped upon learning this new rule to us, and limited our well wishes to the pts bedside.
I was thinking about this patient and how nice she was. I called her room to check on her. I just let her know I had been thinking about her, and asked how she was doing...get well soon, etc. She seemed very appreciative.
A few days later I told her PACU nurse that I had spoken with her. This nurse was very offended with me and said I had broken HIPPAA
I don't think you've broken any HIPPA laws. It would seem to me that you were just being a concerned nurse and the patient appreciated your call. I would have appreciated it. I have followed up with patient and have never received anything but good feedback from my calls.
You DID NOT violate HIPPA. Hopefully you learned a lesson about talking to other nurses.
The only doctor I have ever remebered is the one who called me a week after a stent placement - he was just my ER doc and didn't even do the procedure! 6 years later I am a nurse and work with this great doc on my floor every day.
When my mom was in and out of the hospital in another state, she spoke about the nurses as dear friends. She knew their names and their personalities. She deeply depended on them to not just care for her but about her. They were critical to her recovery. And they were an angelic comfort to us at a distance. I completely understand the need for boundaries. No question. I just can't lose site of the gift of nursing.
Good for your mom but the risk to the nurses are too great. We take care of patients but we need to protect ourselves as well.To every greatful patient there is at least one, if not them then their families, who will destroy the will of a good nurse.
You DID NOT violate HIPPA. Hopefully you learned a lesson about talking to other nurses.
The only doctor I have ever remebered is the one who called me a week after a stent placement - he was just my ER doc and didn't even do the procedure! 6 years later I am a nurse and work with this great doc on my floor every day.
I do not understand why my fellow nurses keep telling her that she did not violate HIPAA laws. I think it is better to stay neutral and discourage fellow nurses from doing foolish things like that that put their careers, and subsequently their families' welfare at risk!
I do not understand why my fellow nurses keep telling her that she did not violate HIPAA laws. I think it is better to stay neutral and discourage fellow nurses from doing foolish things like that that put their careers, and subsequently their families' welfare at risk!
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
I know I will get flamed for this, but there are vast numbers of nurses and patients out and about who are actually able to use their common sense, their intelligence, and their "read" of the patient/nurse/doctor/family member and proceed accordingly.
99% of the time you won't know about or hear about those people. HIPAA-steria is fuelled by facilities fearing lawsuits and employees fearing termination, so it's here to stay. Electronic media added to the mix makes it even more toxic (do not post on your FB a pic of you standing next to that child's mom at the child's end of chemo party for god's sake!). I promise next time I run into a former patient at that Seine river travelogue I'll make a dash for it in case I accidentally say "hi!!".
I'm feeling particularly curmudgeonly today. Thank you for your patience. Hrrrumphh.:)
I know I will get flamed for this, but there are vast numbers of nurses and patients out and about who are actually able to use their common sense, their intelligence, and their "read" of the patient/nurse/doctor/family member and proceed accordingly.
99% of the time you won't know about or hear about those people. HIPAA-steria is fuelled by facilities fearing lawsuits and employees fearing termination, so it's here to stay. Electronic media added to the mix makes it even more toxic (do not post on your FB a pic of you standing next to that child's mom at the child's end of chemo party for god's sake!). I promise next time I run into a former patient at that Seine river travelogue I'll make a dash for it in case I accidentally say "hi!!".
I'm feeling particularly curmudgeonly today. Thank you for your patience. Hrrrumphh.:)
I'll put out the flames for you if you are flamed:). You make important points. 1. HIPAA is here to stay so we need to protect ourselves 2. Even if HIPAA did not exist it only takes one complaint from a patient or family member to put oneself and employer at risk. So don't do it! No need to avoid former patients but avoid present patients when one is not assigned to them especially if one is not at work. I love your thing about pics of mom and baby:dncgbby:
Specializes in Med/Surge, Geriatrics(LTC), Pediatricts,.
Bottom line is, if you have a question if something is inappropriate, or wrong, or whatever, always, always, always, did I say always? Always check your facilities policies on the subject. A good meaning and well intended gesture can land you in court, and you have to defend your actions to a prosecuting attorney who only cares about $$$$$$ for his client/himself. And he'll tear you apart like a vulture. Not only could you land in court, you could loose not only your job but your license. And who will provide for you then? Remember too, that nice little old lady has a family someplace. And is that family as nice as she is, or are they sue happy?
Most of us who are telling you to stay clear of contact with pts outside of your job, and bedside care, are telling you out of experience. We've been arround a while, and seen things that you too will gain experience in.
Bottom line is, if you have a question if something is inappropriate, or wrong, or whatever, always, always, always, did I say always? Always check your facilities policies on the subject. A good meaning and well intended gesture can land you in court, and you have to defend your actions to a prosecuting attorney who only cares about $$$$$$ for his client/himself. And he'll tear you apart like a vulture. Not only could you land in court, you could loose not only your job but your license. And who will provide for you then? Remember too, that nice little old lady has a family someplace. And is that family as nice as she is, or are they sue happy?
Most of us who are telling you to stay clear of contact with pts outside of your job, and bedside care, are telling you out of experience. We've been arround a while, and seen things that you too will gain experience in.
Wow, what a sad day in nursing when an act of decency, compassion and commitment to relieving the suffering of others is interpreted as not only violating a privacy law, but an a nurse having a "boundary issue".
It sounds like some nurses DO have boundary issues. They have decided to remove the REAL human element from their work in order to avoid some of the more painful issues we all must face in helping sick people. They set such cold, wide boundaries that they literally have no warmth or personal connection to their patients anymore.
That's great for being a paperwork queen/time clock puncher, but as for being a nurse--well, that's just sad.
Ask yourself, would you rather have a nurse like you taking care of your elderly grandma, or someone who treated her like she was a "core measures goal" and nothing else? Keep on being that kind of "inappropriate", as far as I'm concerned.
:yeah:
nursedora
105 Posts
All be it a well meaning gesture, you probably are in violation of the HIPPA laws. Since you took pt information out of the facility and contacted them directly. Read your facilities policy on contacting a pt weather they are still an admission or have been discharged. Remember, pts are in the hospital for rest and recuperation, not to chat. And our (nurses) refraining from calling them keeps the call volume more in check. It'd be different if this pt were a family member of yours, and you were calling as a family member, and not a concerned nurse. Save your well wishes for when you are bedside. Back before the HIPPA rules started and I worked in a small rural hospital, we, the staff and nurses on the night shift, used to send a get well card to the pt when they were discharged home, or if the pt died we'd send a sympathy card to the family. When the HIPPA laws came into effect, we were no longer alowed to do this gesture. Rationale, we were taking information, the pts mailing address, out of a confidential chart. We thought we were well meaning, and showing concern. But according to the HIPPA rules we were in violation of the rules. We stoped upon learning this new rule to us, and limited our well wishes to the pts bedside.