Hello,

I have a questions regarding HIPPA laws. I am a registered nurse. A doctor that I work with daily instructed myself and several others that he had just been told in a message from his mother that she has breast cancer. He was quite upset. After about 30 minutes I was passing by our supervisers desk when I told him to take it easy on this physician as he had just found out this news. My supervisor told my to be very careful as I had just violated HIPPA. I stated that I had not violated HIPPA because she is not our pt. The pt lives out of state. That the physcian shared the information with us and just I wanted him to have a little symphathy. So, did I violate HIPPA?

Thank you,
Confused and Concerned

Unless he was consulting with you in medical position, it is not.

If he was telling you about personal and family business then this is not any violation

Sounds like supervisor just running scared and is sleeping though the HIPPA classes that you are suppose to be having.