Welcome back to NurseTok, where someone always knows better and sometimes they go live to prove they don’t.
I ain’t the one to gossip, but you are hearing it from me on this one.
The setup? A nurse, fresh out of orientation, decides to go live on TikTok while passing medications. Viewers start flooding the comments with warnings about HIPAA. Her response? “Ya’ll doing too much…” “…It’s only a violation if I show the info” 🤦🏾♀️
Moments later, she casually says the patient’s name out loud. Then comes the twist: she makes a med error during the stream. All on camera. All preserved in internet infamy.
Then… the nursing ethics delegation went to church in the comments
NurseTok did not hold back. Here are just a few gems:
💎 “Too many nurses not taking this career seriously.”
💎 “She really took another students spot in the program all for her to be on live.”
💎 “And she said she JUST got her license in August?! We can tell.”
💎 “They’ll be using this video in HIPAA trainings until 2089.”
💎 “Risking her license for 58 viewers is WILD.”
And let’s be clear: it wasn’t a violation if she showed PHI. She did. And it wasn’t just a med pass. It became a documented med error with thousands of witnesses.
HIPAA, BON, and a Dose of Reality
Let’s get serious for a second:
- HIPAA doesn’t require intent. Disclosure is disclosure.
- Patient names are PHI. Full stop.
- Live-streaming at work—especially during med passes—is asking for trouble.
- Making a med error on camera? That’s no longer a lapse. That’s evidence.
And yes, your state Board of Nursing absolutely cares.
Don’t Let the Algorithm Undo the 8 Rights
It’s not just about knowing the 8 Rights. It’s about respecting them, even nobody’s watching. But especially when everybody is.
New nurse pressure is real but this aint it. The first year is hard. Confidence feels fake, You want to feel seen. And TikTok makes it easy to confuse visibility with value. But being a nurse is not about being a content creator. It’s about clinical judgement, trust, integrity, and accountability. There’s no ring light for that.
Likes Fade. Licensing Boards Don’t.
Social media is fast. Consequences are forever. The internet might forget—but your BON won’t.
So if you ever get the urge to reach for the “Go Live” button during shift… DON’T