I know many and I suspect this is not the norm. AT least I hope not. One friend works at the busiest ER in the city and the other is a surgical nurse at the only private hospital around. The ER girl has so many stories about our mutual friends and renowned residents, I told her a couple years ago to stop telling me stuff.

Not that I am not totally nosey, I guess I just became old enough, I felt it was not appropriate. She still spills the beans on the biggies, and I don't enjoy it. Now this surgical nurse has given me some huge Packer news the last two Fridays and I can't stand it. I want to tell people. But I can't.

So do you have any medical professionals spilling the beans when they should not?

Personally no, but my mom has a friend who was horrified to learn that somebody posted all her 'confidential' medical records online for the whole world to see. Private records my ass.

Super, sadly, that doesn't shock me. There are a lot of loose lips in the medical community. It's sad and strange, but true.

I don't have any experience with that. I've known people in the medical profession but if they had any amusing anecdotes about their patients, the people stayed anonymous. Supernova, did your mom's friend do anything about that breach of trust? But never mind that..."Now this surgical nurse has given me some huge Packer news the last two Fridays and I can't stand it. I want to tell people. But I can't." Bullshit! Dish, woman!

Since 1996 the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) has tightened the patient and professional confidentiality.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

Altho it has been on the books since the late '90s it has just been enforced since the early 21st Century. I work with such patient info and Agency for Health Care Administration has come down with all sorts of confidentiality rules since then.

Have you noticed how at one time any celebrity in the hospital had some medical person give a report on their condition? Now you don't hear that unless it is from a friend or family member who thinks it is appropriate.

There are penalties for violating patient confidentiality and your STUPID friend may eventually get fired and lose any credentials she has if someone reports her blabbering ILLEGALLY about confidential patient information.

Maybe just ask her if she is familiar with HIPAA and see what her reaction is.

Of course not everyone in the medical profession grasp confidentiality. When a worker takes off for a medical appointment they need a note from the doctor (just like mom had to write one when you were 'sick' from school). All the doc office needs to do on their letter head is write you were there date&time. As an Admin Assistant I get most of the faxes and have been surprised to receive a co-workers pelvic exam results. NOT HIPAA Compliant Dr. Receptionist!

Nope. However, one of my good friends just graduated with her degree in nursing and she used to tell me about how the nurses gossiped all the time at the hospital she was doing her internship in. One nurse had an affair with a doctor, got pregnant by him and that same doctor performed her abortion. Being in a hospital or any other work environment doesn't mean shit and drama goes on there just like any other place or work enviornment. I'm not surprised that there are loose lips in a medical professional setting. They just won't talk about you to the wrong people.