OR camera privacy concerns influence nursing strike negotiations

Editor's Note

A dispute over cameras in ORs reportedly added tension to nurse strike negotiations that recently culminated in a tentative agreement with union nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

According to an August 7 CBS News report, the OR cameras are intended to assist with robotic surgeries. The hospital maintains that these cameras are necessary for surgical safety, claiming they are part of an integrated system that has been in place since 2008, record only during surgery when turned on by staff, and do not record patient-identifiable information. However, nurses at the hospital were shocked to discover the cameras had been installed without their prior knowledge, questioning whether the cameras are recording and are troubled by potential security risks.

Further complicating matters, the hospital’s medical consent forms do not explicitly mention videotaping, although they do state that photos and recordings may be taken for educational or research purposes, CBS reports.

NBC News reported on the tentative agreement August 8, which came two weeks after nurses voted to approve a one-day strike after a year of contract negotiations. The broader agreement reportedly incudes staffing improvements, steps to prevent workplace violence, and a choice of health insurance.