As a nurse, you need to abide by certain standards. Failing to do so could put your job at risk, and in some cases, your professional license, too.
One set of standards you need to keep in mind is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, often referred to as HIPAA.
What does it cover?
HIPAA is not about how you directly treat a patient. It’s about how you treat their personal information. Hospitals do not give all staff the same level of access to information.
Mishandling that information could prove highly damaging to the person, which is why compliance is a must. Maybe a friend asks you if you can access their dad’s medical record because they suspect he is dying, but he continues to tell them he is fine. You cannot do that. Even if you were allowed access to that information (which you might be if you treated them), sharing it with someone unauthorized to access it would be a breach.
Altering or destroying records, such as if you wanted to help your mother get insurance by removing a particular diagnosis from her record, would also be considered a breach.
Carelessness can also lead to a HIPAA violation – for instance, if you leave a patient’s records lying about in the waiting room. Discussing a patient in a way that allows them to be identified while discussing them with a colleague in a bar after work might also be considered a breach.
You can violate HIPAA online, too
You also need to be careful what you say or write online. Asking a question about a condition you treated or sharing your nursing experiences in a closed Facebook group, needs to be done with the same care for patients’ personal information and HIPAA regulations as when discussing the matter in person.
If you are accused of a HIPAA breach, consider getting legal guidance to know how best to respond in order to protect your nursing license.
