Nurse censured for reading ex-husband's new wife's medical notes

Nurse censured for reading ex-husband's new wife's medical notes
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A Hamilton nurse has been censured for reading the medical notes of her ex-husband's wife.

The nurse, who has not been named, has been charged with professional misconduct after she accessed the medical records of the woman referred to as Mrs I.

Mrs I, who is married to the nurse's ex-husband, became concerned when the nurse phoned her during the weekend to tell her she made her an appointment with a doctor.

Mrs I spoke out about her suspicion that the nurse might be accessing her medical records, which proved to be correct.

An investigation found that the nurse, who had been registered since 1997, had viewed Mrs I's electronic records 16 times.

In a decision published this week, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal said the nurse had no involvement in the Mrs I's care and she had no legitimate reason to have accessed her medical records.

The records contained personal material including the patient "reflecting on the impact that the illness and the terminal nature of the illness is having on them".

The nurse was also found to have changed the patient's postcode and details for her next of kin, and had attempted to provide Mrs I with care and support against her wishes.

Mrs I said during a doctor's appointment, she was asked if she would like the nurse to sit in with her. "She said she definitely did not want this as the practitioner was her ex-husband's wife and had nothing to do with her care," the Tribunal said.

The nurse was censured and banned from practicing for 3 months, and is required to undertake training in patient privacy as directed by the Nursing Council.

Newshub.