As part of yet another round of new employee orientation, the EHN came in with an Employee Health Questionnaire for us to fill out and sign for our official record...all confidential unless Admin. asks for it, of course.
I find it irksome that my employer asks me to confess all (including the date of my last menstrual period), because I think it will be used if ever I need to file for Worker's Comp., etc.
Thank you ownadobe, for your perspective. Essentially, the nurse said she was the only one with access to it, mainly so she could create employee wellness programs, but said that admin. could also ask for it. None of these assurances were written on the paper, however.
I am sure if my ankles swell, they are not going to come tell me to put my feet up!
Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I seriously doubt that if a person had say asthma and didn't disclose it on an employer's questionaire, that the BON would give two flying figs. Yes the employer could fire you for dishonesty I suppose, but I don't see how this would affect a nurse's license. The BON would only get involved if it somehow compromised a patient's safety.
Yes, all employees (we were told) are given the same check-off sheet...
Do you now or have you had problems with the following:
Swollen ankles
Allergies
G.I. or digestion
Cardiac
Asthma
Smoke? How much? Since?
Diabetes
Last menstrual period ___/___/___
and so on..
I don't know what the law is on this and you probably should check with a lawyer in your state.
I think I would want my employer to know if I have certain illnesses that can be life-threatening.
But your whole dang history, such as your smoking habits and your reproductive matters, seems invasive and irrelevant as to whether you can insert Foleys, do admits, pass meds, and do most of the other work nurses do.
There might be consequences to not answering, although if you have passed a pre-employment physical, I don't know what they would be. I think it's a great issue for a union representative and an attorney to explore.
I seriously doubt that if a person had say asthma and didn't disclose it on an employer's questionaire that the BON would give two flying figs. Yes the employer could fire you for dishonesty I suppose, but I don't see how this would affect a nurse's license. The BON would only get involved if it somehow compromised a patient's safety.[/quote']
But remember - professionals are required to behave morally and ethically, not just competently. Conceivably, the license could be touched, too, if anything goes down.:imbar
you tell them everything... because they will find out if you are hiding somthing... they always do .. and if they find out something you didn't disclose ... you can get in trouble with the nursing board and be working in walmart..
there is no such thing as HIPPA when working in the medical field.
irks me too , but you can't fight it ...
What if the Founding Fathers of America had been fatalistic and had given up and had said "you can't fight it"?
I don't know about this. If I was going to be insured by that hospital I wouldn't have a problem with them asking about my present physical status, but if my insurance wasn't even through them...they'd have no right to my medical information. I'd look into it more.
Unless you work for a self-insurer, such as Kaiser-Permanente, your employer is not the insurer. Your employer buys coverage through an insurance company for you employees. Big difference. This still does not give the employer the right to know your health history and PE. You are there now, ready and fit to work, and that's all they get to know. Never let them bully you into revealing why you are calling off sick, only that you need a sick day.
I just don't think my employer needs to know that an employee is a circumcised male, or has pink, moist lady partsl mucosa or herpes or has a history of abortion and GC. There is no reason for Employee Health to need all of this information. All they really need to know is that you are allergic to whatever and are alive and able to function right now, when you get down to it. Maybe it's good for them to know you have diabetes or seizures. Maybe. If you work a shift when E Health is closed, what good will that do you or them?
And they are probably involved in TB testing and follow up of OTJ injuries/return to work issues. Other than that, they should keep their noses out of our business. And, no matter how secret med info is supposed to be, we all know it can be very easily leaked and shared. Can you imagine anyone in E. Health seriously refusing to give Admin all the secrets it wants?
Most employers who require a pre-employment physical send their prospective employees to an outside firm to have their physical, history, and drug test.
Granted, one former employer sent us for pre-E PE to its Employee Health site. I didn't like that one bit but I needed the job.
Thank you ownadobe, for your perspective. Essentially, the nurse said she was the only one with access to it, mainly so she could create employee wellness programs, but said that admin. could also ask for it. None of these assurances were written on the paper, however.
I am sure if my ankles swell, they are not going to come tell me to put my feet up!
I would speak to a lawyer. I would also ask that your employer out all this in writing. They won't because they know it's illegal. Admin. can't ask for access to your health records because you are entitled to medical privacy the same as everyone else.
As this isn't for insurance purposes I wouldn't fill it out. If they make a fuss tell them you will get a lawyer and they can explain it to you with counsel present. I doubt they will put up much of a fuss after that.
Everyone should be very leery when handed documentation like this. I applaud this nurse for telling another nurse admin. could ask to see it. I almost wonder if that was a warning to other employees to be careful waht they share.
What if the Founding Fathers of America had been fatalistic and had given up and had said "you can't fight it"?
my family fought in the revolutionary war , and before that came over on the mayflower , and i am far from being fatalistic... but that is how it is today .. no i won't fight it because i really like the roof over my head and the pool in my yard. and thats just how it is when you get a job , you disclose everything..
anyway , it's best to pick your battles, i won't fight it.. i just answer their questions and save my battles for staffing issues , pt problems , pt family problems, and other work issues....
I seriously doubt that if a person had say asthma and didn't disclose it on an employer's questionaire that the BON would give two flying figs. Yes the employer could fire you for dishonesty I suppose, but I don't see how this would affect a nurse's license. The BON would only get involved if it somehow compromised a patient's safety.[/quote']
well i agree with you, i didn't think of asthma , but i was htinking along the lines of issues closer to the effects of pt care , like drug problems , or mental health issues , ectra,,,
HIPPA is indeed in effect at the workplace, even though we are self insured. My medical health history, is not my workplace health history. If I've filed a comp. case, my employer has every right to ask permission of my medical records to prove I did not have a pre-existing injury related to that specific injury. NOTHING else. If I refuse to comply they have the right to deny me my claim.
We have these questionaires too. If we don't fill them out, our insurance rates go up. This know your risk # campaign (was really designed to line employees up with healthy classes, exercise, get your cholesterol checked ect), but my last period or if I have them is not a condition of employment.
I filled out the form, wrote hippa, where applicable (pretty much everywhere) but did include my knee injury and surgery since my last yearly employee check, which was non work related.
what I don't understand about a getting a job in the hospital vs. anywhere else is why do we have to give them our blood. my husband works for a fortune 500 company with spectacular benifits, yet he didn't have to give his blood or when his last ejaculation was. It really seems like a simple urine tox screen should be enough. i want to know if anyone has ever had a job offer taken away after their physical.
and why can't a physical done by our own physician be enough?
what I don't understand about a getting a job in the hospital vs. anywhere else is why do we have to give them our blood. my husband works for a fortune 500 company with spectacular benifits, yet he didn't have to give his blood or when his last ejaculation was. It really seems like a simple urine tox screen should be enough. i want to know if anyone has ever had a job offer taken away after their physical.
and why can't a physical done by our own physician be enough?
The blood was to check immunity titers for MMR and varicella. I had to have a blood test when I hired in and asked what it was for. Drug screen was done by urine. I don't remember what was on my questionerre as regard to health. Allergies are important so that if you end up sick or hurt on the job they don't give you a med or vaccine you have allergies to.
justpoorfect
80 Posts
Thank you ownadobe, for your perspective. Essentially, the nurse said she was the only one with access to it, mainly so she could create employee wellness programs, but said that admin. could also ask for it. None of these assurances were written on the paper, however.
I am sure if my ankles swell, they are not going to come tell me to put my feet up!