Florida nurse fired after posting photos of baby born with birth defect on social media

A Florida nurse was fired after posting photos of a baby born with a birth defect on social media, hospital officials said.

Officials at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami first learned of the incident on September 8, hospital spokesperson Lidia Amoretti told NBC News on Saturday.

Sierra Samuels, a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, shared photographs of a newborn with gastroschisis – a birth defect of the abdominal wall that causes the baby’s intestines to protrude out of the body – on her media accounts personal social.

Hospital officials immediately placed Samuels on administrative leave pending an investigation into privacy breaches, according to Amoretti. Samuels was then fired from her job at the hospital on September 15.

Posting patient photos without permission is often considered a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is designed to protect medical records and other personal health information.

The photos Samuels shared on social media were accompanied by captions: “My night was going well, so boom!” And “Your intestines arose (sic) to be inside and not outside baby!” #gastroschisis, ”according to WFOR-TV, which first reported the story.