When an employee is a patient

[LaurRN]

My boyfriend was a patient in the hospital where he works recently and we both had a terrible experience. Besides giving him coffee with curdled milk in it and refusing to make more because "that's just the way cream settles" and "we're out of coffee" and "we only have one CA". And no, they would not let me make a pot either. We were mistreated in a dozen ways, including holding back meds assuming he was a drug seeker, employees telling us we were "a big issue on the floor," refusing to page the doctor and requesting that I do it from my cell phone, not returning when they said they would, asking him if he was "refusing treatment" when he said he didn't want IV Depakote for what they thought was a migraine because he had taken it PO before and it didn't agree with him, etc... ARGH! He ended up trying the IV Depacon at their request and he broke out in a whole body rash and they kept him another day. He returned to the ER 2 days later with complications from the rash and the doctor said "I'm not giving you prednisone." I told her, "the doctor who was just here just gave him a dose." She said, "OK I'll give you prednisone but only if you promise to follow up." I don't understand the "care" at all!! IT was awful! When we asked for the charge nurse, she was awful to us too, saying people had more important things to do because there was a code.

After he was discharged and went back to work, his manager said she received an email from that unit saying he had questionable behavior during his hospital stay. It was totally exaggerated. For example, I had brought his badge to the hospital so I could park in the garage, and he put it on as a joke while laying in bed. It stayed on maybe 10 minutes. They complained about this saying he was misrepresenting himself. They said he tried to get into the medicine room, which isn't true (he was admitted with altered mental status so how could they judge his behavior anyway!)

Is this ILLEGAL that they told his manager he was in the hospital? And talked about his behavior? I would think that is a breach of HIPPA and that they are also damaging his reputation without cause!

Please help! Thank you!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Something tells me that there's a bit more to this story??

[Trekfan]

I would have him call HR about that e-mail thats just wrong ,, next time he needs to go to the er I would go to another place .

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Talk to a lawyer.

[shoegalRN, RN]

I do not think it's a breach of HIPAA, because everyone knew he was an employee of the hospital. It would be a breach of HIPAA if everyone who was not INVOLVED directly in his care knew WHY he was being admitted to the hospital.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

Follow up with administration. From the story you told, he shouldn't have been treated so poorly, whether he was an employee or not. With that being said....I suspect there is more to this story that either you are not telling or are not aware of. Just my opinion.

[shoegalRN, RN]

Follow up with administration. From the story you told, he shouldn't have been treated so poorly, whether he was an employee or not. With that being said....I suspect there is more to this story that either you are not telling or are not aware of. Just my opinion.

That situation with the coffee stands out to me.

OP, was there a big stink being made about the coffee situation? And why would you be allowed to make another pot if you are not an employee of the hospital who needs to have access to the breakroom or room where they keep patients meals? Something tells me that situation was probably blown way out of proportion and rub the nurses the wrong way, simply because it's not a priority.

And the charge nurse being rude in the ER? Who was talking to the charge nurse? The OP or her boyfriend?

[LaurRN]

Actually my boyfriend's manager was NOT directly involved in his care. She was several floors away, so there was no reason for her to know about his care or even his stay. We never made unrealistic requests or demands. When his pain wasn't treated and they diagnosed him with a migraine, he requested coffee for the therapeutic effect of the caffeine. We did not know there was a code going on when we asked to speak to the charge nurse about the curdled milk. No we did not make a "stink." I am a nurse. I know how hard healthcare workers work. We were polite and did not ask for much.

And the charge nurse was not the charge nurse in the ER. None of this happened in the ER. I am completely aware that emergencies are priority. I think you are misreading this situation. It sounds like you have been treated very poorly by some patients which is a bummer cause it gives all patients with needs a bad rap. My boyfriend had altered mental status so I was the one requesting to speak to the doctor about his pain, being his advocate since he could not remember anything but was clearly in pain. We were extremely polite and had some great experiences. Unfortunately, when report was given from nurse to nurse, a judgment was passed along and employees did not decide on their own if we were worth caring for.

[LaurRN]

Is it so hard to believe that judgments can be made and patients can be treated poorly at times?

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I would contact the hospital risk manager and file a complaint regarding being pressured to take a med that had provoked a reaction in the past, refusal to page an MD and refusing to give medications (if they were ordered). Not sure you can do much about the coffee.

I'm also not sure how far you will get with a complaint about the ED. If there was a code indeed going on, well they get priority.

And holy HIPAA, the only info that his manager should have received is that he was a patient.

I am sure that risk management would like to hear about this one! He should make sure that nothing has been placed in his personnel file or he writes a rebuttal.

He should be sure to document all conversations, just in case he takes this higher up the food chain (the state department of health, JC or to a lawyer).

FWIW, I try to never tell anyone that I am an employee or a nurse. I feel like I am automatically labeled a drug-seeker, whether its a broken wrist or a ruptured eardrum.

[shoegalRN, RN]

Actually my boyfriend's manager was NOT directly involved in his care. She was several floors away, so there was no reason for her to know about his care or even his stay. We never made unrealistic requests or demands. When his pain wasn't treated and they diagnosed him with a migraine, he requested coffee for the therapeutic effect of the caffeine. We did not know there was a code going on when we asked to speak to the charge nurse about the curdled milk. No we did not make a "stink." I am a nurse. I know how hard healthcare workers work. We were polite and did not ask for much.

And the charge nurse was not the charge nurse in the ER. None of this happened in the ER. I am completely aware that emergencies are priority. I think you are misreading this situation. It sounds like you have been treated very poorly by some patients which is a bummer cause it gives all patients with needs a bad rap. My boyfriend had altered mental status so I was the one requesting to speak to the doctor about his pain, being his advocate since he could not remember anything but was clearly in pain. We were extremely polite and had some great experiences. Unfortunately, when report was given from nurse to nurse, a judgment was passed along and employees did not decide on their own if we were worth caring for.

To the bolded:

I work in the ER and pts can get out of hand. NO, I don't take things personally. Still, each pt get treated the same in my care. I wasnt there, so I'm trying to see this situation from the outside looking in. I don't know why the floor nurses would send your boyfriend's manager an email regarding his "behavior" unless something "trival" happened that they felt was a cause for concern. This is just MY opinion regarding that. Take it as you may.

I'm sorry the charge nurse was rude to you about the milk, but why would that have to be escalated to the charge nurse? You are an RN, couldn't you have asked his nurse where you can get another carton of milk for the coffee? You understand how busy floor nurses can be, so I'm quite sure you understand that's not a priority in the grand scheme of things.

I understand the manager was not involved directly in his care, but I'm quite sure she knew he was being admitted to the hospital, because I'm quite sure he had to call in to work. Did she know WHY he was being admitted to the hospital? His diagnosis?

I don't agree with the floor nurses sending the manager an email because he was a patient at the time, not an employee. I would go up the ladder on that one.

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

Actually my boyfriend's manager was NOT directly involved in his care. She was several floors away, so there was no reason for her to know about his care or even his stay. We never made unrealistic requests or demands. When his pain wasn't treated and they diagnosed him with a migraine, he requested coffee for the therapeutic effect of the caffeine. We did not know there was a code going on when we asked to speak to the charge nurse about the curdled milk. No we did not make a "stink." I am a nurse. I know how hard healthcare workers work. We were polite and did not ask for much.

And the charge nurse was not the charge nurse in the ER. None of this happened in the ER. I am completely aware that emergencies are priority. I think you are misreading this situation. It sounds like you have been treated very poorly by some patients which is a bummer cause it gives all patients with needs a bad rap. My boyfriend had altered mental status so I was the one requesting to speak to the doctor about his pain, being his advocate since he could not remember anything but was clearly in pain. We were extremely polite and had some great experiences. Unfortunately, when report was given from nurse to nurse, a judgment was passed along and employees did not decide on their own if we were worth caring for.

It's great that you were being his advocate. However, the problem is you are his girlfriend. Therefore you have no say in hid care, whether it is about pain meds, tests, etc. Of course he could allow that info to be conveyed to you, but if he was there fit altered mental status than he might not have been able to do that. Probably why they wouldn't call the doctor to talk to you.