nurse gets fired for social media
Although HIPAA has whistleblower provisions to protect employees who report HIPAA violations directly to HHS Office for Civil Rights, you may be required (by your employer) to file a report internally before taking any further action. Content on this site is for entertainment purposes and does not constitute medical advice. HIPAA-covered entities are unlikely to recruit a nurse that has previously been fired for violating HIPAA Rules. Download PDF. A nurse has been sacked after sharing a picture of her homemade face mask and speaking out about the conditions she works under amid the COVID-19 outbreak. It actually filmed her there. Never Disclose Your Personal Information. Sharing protected health information on social media websites should be further explained. Curious to see where she takes it? If you make a mistake own it, learn from it and teach others not to make the same mistake. After Faith Linthicum, RN posted that an unarmed black man shot by police "deserved it," Kaiser Permanente decided to part ways with the nurse. It seems so many people want to denigrate Katie Duke, from her choice to post the photo being discussed to the measurement of her waistline. Four labor and delivery nurses at an Atlanta hospital came under fire over a TikTok video in which they shared the things that annoy them about expecting mothers and their families. Sierra Samuels, a neonatal intensive care nurse at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, was fired Thursday following an investigation that began early last month after two photos of a newborn. Is Katie Duke a good nurse? HIPAA Journal provides the most comprehensive coverage of HIPAA news anywhere online, in addition to independent advice about HIPAA compliance and the best practices to adopt to avoid data breaches, HIPAA violations and regulatory fines. I have a whole file for training. Nurse Katie Duke was fired from a New York City hospital for sending this photo out on Instagram. I am a nurse in NYC, have worked at Columbia, Katie and I have mutual friends, I am very familiar with the operations of the nursing unions in NY, and I have had this conversation with other nurses here. When you couldnt visit your sick loved one in the hospital, they were practicing their dance moves because an endorphin hit matters more to a narcissistic monster than showing empathy for your personal sorrows. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. If health information is not acquired or disclosed under false pretenses and/or for personal gain, the offense is punished as a misdemeanor. Knowledge is power, and you need to know what may put your employment at risk. A HIPAA violation is a felony if it involves the knowing and wrongful acquisition or disclosure of individually identifiable health information under false pretenses or for personal gain, commercial advantage, or malicious intent. It is highly likely that a strong case had already been mounted against Katie for her to be fired. For example, some perceived breaches in client confidentiality are permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule and by state privacy laws. One Instagram user said the video just showed everyone where NOT to go," while another person said that childbirth is one of the most vulnerable times for a woman. Top Cheap and Fast Online RN to BSN Programs, Affordable Online Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Direct-Entry Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Online Family Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top RN to Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Programs, Top Womens Health Nurse Practitioner Programs, How to Get an Associate Degree in Nursing. A nurses viral TikTok video did exactly this as she recorded herself melodramatically acting shaken with the caption Lost a patient today. A nurse in Florida has been fired after posting photos of a baby born with a birth defect on social media, according to hospital officials. Mary Krusi Dyke DRozario I think that many nurses (and other employees) are getting by with a lot more on social media than they would be able to if their employers monitored their activity more often. As we were all told to applaud the nurses who were risking their health to support the sick during the pandemic, monsters in select hospitals nationwide thought it appropriate to choreograph dance routines for likes and shares. HITECH News Unless prior authorization has been received from a patient, in writing, nurses should avoid sharing photographs and videos of patients (or any PHI) on social media sites. However, as this incident shows, the patient does not need to be mentioned by name in order for them to potentially be identified. We've received your submission. that's continuously reviewed to ensure its as relevant and accurate as Perhaps I can clarify a little. She moved to New York and made something of herself. Kelly Morris was suspended from her job at The Citadel Winston Salemnursing home after she posted videos about her patients on her TikTok channel, according to officials. equally, but do you know which nurses are making the most money in 2023? Emory Healthcare did not immediately return a request for comment on Saturday. Well be joined by emergency medicine professionals from all over the country who will offer their ideas about how to handle yourself in a medical emergency. Its really just sad," the person wrote. HIPAA Journal provides the most comprehensive coverage of HIPAA news anywhere online, in addition to independent advice about HIPAA compliance and the best practices to adopt to avoid data breaches, HIPAA violations and regulatory fines. The nurse was an anti-vaxxer and posted about the experience of seeing a boy at the hospital suffering from the disease a disease that could have been prevented through vaccination. Serious violations of HIPAA Rules, even when committed without malicious intent, are likely to result in disciplinary action, including termination and punishment by the board of nursing. "Everybody knows thats not a joke," she told WXII. Look her up. For example: Had the nursing student received adequate training before being exposed to PHI/ePHI? An attorney told WFOR last month that Samuels not only breached the newborns privacy, but also violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. — -- One of the most dramatic scenes so far from the second season of ABCs New York Med had nothing to do with gunshot wounds or heart transplants. What happens if a nurse violates HIPAA depends on the nature of the violation, the consequences of the violation, the nurses previous compliance history, and the content of the Covered Entitys sanctions policy. She is known to be difficult. In most cases, if a nurse accidentally violates HIPAA, the consequences are minor, and the nurse does not have a history of accidental violations, the outcome will be a verbal warning and/or refresher HIPAA training. But the lack of professionalism and empathy these nurses expressed to publicly mock their patients is inexcusable their terminations were warranted. Nurses are in the compassion industry, and their decision to record, verbalize and publish their grievances publicly portrays compassionless behavior we should not reward or excuse. Accidental HIPAA violations by nurses happen, even when care is taken to follow HIPAA Rules. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) gives patients rights over their health information and sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive patients health information. Her comments explained how the disease was much worse that she expected it to be, having not encountered anyone with the measles in the past. Further information on the penalties for HIPAA violations are detailed here. Nurse fired from Sinai Grace for online post, her attorney says she was canned for union organizing. 0:34. In response to the rightful outrage from social-media users, the Atlanta hospital fired the four nurses over the weekend for, it said, filming a TikTok video that included disrespectful and unprofessional comments about maternity patients at Emory University Hospital Midtown.. Social Media Post Prompts Firing Ann W. Latner, JD An RN's post online violates a patient's privacy, and she is fired. Copyright 2014-2023 HIPAA Journal. Four days after the nurse was suspended the decision was taken to fire her for the HIPAA violation. Even so, the example still has the potential to help many nurses avoid making similar mistakes. Termination for a HIPAA violation does not just mean loss of current employment and benefits. We have investigated the situation and taken appropriate actions with the former employees responsible for the video, the company said in an Instagram post. Morris was suspended from her job as a nurse. All other violations of HIPAA are civil offences subject to an employers sanctions policy or sanctions set by HHS Office for Civil Rights. Can You Get an Associate Degree in Nursing Online? The intent is to explore the complex issue of where personal life intercept work end and how social media makes that all the more complex. The same applies to sharing PHI including photographs and videos of patients via messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook Messenger. Duke also claims that the photo was not even hers, but rather reposted from a doctors Instagram page. The childs mother had been notified of the privacy breach, hospital officials told WFOR. Because nurses are often on the frontline of medical care, they need to be extra careful with what they post on social media, said Nancy Spector, director of regulatory innovations for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. As a nurse, it's important to know what you can and cannot post on social media. There is no private cause of action in HIPAA. However, these same sites have been used inappropriately by nurses who have found themselves in significant legal problems both for the organizations in which they work, but also for their own registered nurse licensure. Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to know about our daily giveaways from shoes to Patagonia gear, FIGS scrubs, cash, and more! A Florida nurse has been fired for posting photos on social media cruelly mocking a newborn with a birth defect, hospital officials said. What happens if a nurse violates HIPAA accidently depends on the nature of the violation, the consequences of the violation, the employers sanctions for HIPAA violation, and the nurses previous history of accidental HIPAA violations.