Most people, regardless of their profession, have probably heard of HIPAA through their interactions with healthcare professionals or those of their loved ones. For those outside the healthcare field, HIPAA is often shorthand for patient privacy, but what does HIPAA mean for a nurse?  

Having a sufficient understanding of HIPAA is critical to your nursing career. It determines how you conduct yourself on the job every day and even whether you’ll keep your job. How? Read on and we’ll fill you in. 

HIPAA Makes Protecting Patient Privacy a Priority 

What is HIPAA? An acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, HIPAA is a “federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.” The idea is that a patient’s health information is private information and should be known only by them, their caregivers, and others whom they designate. A patient may be pregnant, have a terminal disease, or suffer from a potentially embarrassing condition. It’s their right to keep that information private.  

The HIPAA Privacy Rule also gives an individual the right to access their own health records, including test results, labs, etc., from their physicians. In addition, it allows a personal representative authorized by the individual to access their health records. 

With this background in mind, let’s examine some of the important aspects of HIPAA that nurses need to know: 

  • Nurses should have a thorough understanding of what is deemed Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. According to The HIPAA Journal, insufficient knowledge about what constitutes PHI is a major driver of HIPAA-related complaints to the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights. 
  • Healthcare providers may share PHI about a patient with each other, provided all parties have an established relationship with the patient and the discloser reveals only the minimum amount of information needed by the recipient. This can be done without the patient’s consent. 
  • Covered entities—medical facilities, nursing homes, pharmacies, and other entities subject to HIPAA compliance—are required to put security measures in place to protect private information. This includes implementing policies about who can access said information, keeping rooms and filing cabinets where information is stored locked, and requiring passwords and other credentials to access computer systems holding such information. 
  • Many healthcare professionals may violate HIPAA without even realizing it. Examples of infractions include taking selfies or other photos in the workplace, discussing a patient’s condition with coworkers who are not treating the same patient, discussing a patient’s condition in front of visitors, or discussing a patient with their own significant other. 
  • Protecting the privacy of a patient is as much a part of a nurse’s job as protecting their health. 
  • State and local laws protecting patient privacy may be more stringent than HIPAA requirements. In these cases, nurses must follow the stricter requirements.  
  • When a nurse violates HIPAA, they may receive a warning, be sent for remedial HIPAA training, lose their job, and/or lose their nursing license. More severe violations may entail criminal penalties. The nurse’s employer may also face large fines. 
  • HIPAA rules have been updated multiple times since 1996, most recently in 2023. Therefore, updated training on an annual basis is generally recommended. Employers will arrange this training for their nursing staff and other employees subject to HIPAA. 

Prepare for a Leadership Role With Expanded Expertise and Credentials 

In addition to being fully versed in HIPAA, you’ll need to know much more if you aspire to make the transition from RN to nursing leader. The University of Texas Permian Basin’s CCNE-accredited online RN to BSN program was designed for busy nurses like you who want to provide a higher quality of care and have the opportunity to compete for advanced roles in the profession. 

Our world-class, flexible program enables you to: 

  • Learn from master’s- or doctorally prepared nurses, many of whom have been working in the field for decades. 
  • Complete your degree online from any location that suits you, on your own schedule, around your shift hours and personal commitments. 
  • Meet your clinical requirements at a local facility with a qualified preceptor of your choice.  
  • Earn an optional Nurse Manager Certificate from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing at the completion of your degree. 

Give your nursing career the boost it needs. Find out more and apply to our online RN to BSN program today! 

Sources: 
https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-compliance-for-nurses/
https://www.healthit.gov/topic/hipaa-versus-state-laws
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/hipaa/hipaa-violations-enforcement
https://www.hipaajournal.com/what-happens-nurse-violates-hipaa/