1. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) In-Plot

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by KiloBravo, Oct 3, 2017.

    Not to be confused with an NDA to protect someones writing/novel, which I did search and found on here...

    I am working on a project where a Nurse is offered an interview at a hospital. The hospital is run (at least 50%) by vampire doctors, if not 100% (to be determined soon).

    The hospital was recently built and now they are hiring nurses. Nurses cant find work nation wide because all the hospitals are only interested in hiring Nurses with +2 years experience. Ahhh, but not this hospital. But who wants to relocate to Hell, Michigan just for a job? I know who does...... Mika does, a recent graduate from Nursing school who is in debt and needs help fast! Her new husband is retired and is working as a real estate agent, but the business is bad and the pension from the military isnt enough to support them both, not in California. William (husband) is able to re-locate no problem (retired/real estate).

    - The hospital "Valentine Memorial" located in Hell, Michigan (pop ~350, I looked it up).
    - The hospital brings in all their patients from surrounding regions and operates a fleet of high speed/long distance air ambulances (top of the line).
    - Operate of out Hell, Michigan to keep a lower local profile.
    - This is set in modern time (today)
    - Believe it or not, no one knows about these vampires! (can you believe it!)

    The hospital prior to the interview wants Mika to sign an NDA among other things, like a blood test, and even a DNA test! That is absurd! But she needs work. She signs the NDA of course, but she cannot believe what it says!

    This is where I need some help brain-storming. What does the NDA say? I have some ideas such as, no discussing the patient list, no discussing employees, no discussing practices etc.... Also no family may visit the hospital grounds.

    She didnt have a chance to discuss it with William, because its an NDA.... She agrees and now there is a lot of confusion about if this was really worth it.

    Bottom line... once you are hired, you are hired.....forever. No getting out.
     
  2. B R

    B R New Member

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    For good examples of Evil Law, check out the old TV series Angel and its law firm Wolfram & Hart. For an Evil NDA, you could use normal language regarding what constitutes confidential information, but then play with the enforcement clauses. Say, e.g., the nurse has to sign away her right to arbitration through her union and instead must subject herself to the jurisdiction of Evil Arbitrators who eat anyone who violates the NDA (or something equally gruesome).
     
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  3. NoGoodNobu

    NoGoodNobu Contributor Contributor

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    I'm pretty sure you can discuss the non disclosure agreement, just not any of the subjects it forbades.

    Like I signed one when I worked for Omation Studios (offbranch of Nickolodean—we worked on Planet Sheen & Back at the Barnyard).

    I was fully allowed to tell my friends and family that I signed a NDA and that I couldn't talk about (giant list).

    Like you're allowed to say "sorry guys, I'm not allowed to talk about ____." Or "You're not allowed to see ___." Or "I'm not allowed to show ____ because the contract I signed strictly forbade any & all the above."

    Talking about the contract itself isn't usually forbidden.
     
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  4. Clementine_Danger

    Clementine_Danger Active Member

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    [​IMG]
     
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  5. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Thanks, good idea. Not going to go that route though. At this stage it is not possible that Mika Ashova (Nurse) is aware the doctors are vampires. At this point, she understands she is going in for a job offer. Though, I will say I just wrote everything up to this point last night, a few chapters and things are going well. Lots of conflict just to get to the interview....

    If you can believe it, when she showed up at San Diego International for her flight, the woman behind the counter told her the flight was oversold (What? Never!!) and she'd have to leave at 11:30am, which doesn't work for her. That is also the time of her appointment. She didn't think she was going to make it and ultimately had an argument/emotional breakdown at the airport with the clerk behind the counter.... Luckily the Doctor that set up the interview (yes a doctor set it up, he manages logistics and personnel management as a primary role) called her on the phone a moment later to see if she'd checked in... She of course told the Doctor she couldn't make it! He told her to hand her cell to the woman behind the desk..... I don't know what he said to the lady behind the desk (yet, maybe never), when he was done, Mika not only got on the flight, she was seated in Row 1, Seat 1.

    Anyway, its almost time for the NDA, not at the Hospital yet though. Mika has a connecting flight first (What connecting flight?!) A helicopter ride to get to the hospital. (This company really goes all out for future employees!)
     
  6. FlyingFishPhilosophy

    FlyingFishPhilosophy Member

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    Cool idea.

    If they want to drink her blood, they might want her to keep it clean?:D
    The doctors can ask her to keep her cholesterol at certain levels? Alcohol is alright, but not if it contains yeast (There are myths that musquito's avoid stinging you because of this). Or other things they might not like to find in her veins? They can request a regular bloodtest?

    These things could help to set the tone. Making your character and the readers slightly suspicious before the vampires jump out.
     
  7. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Good idea. Keep the blood clean. But it wont be in the NDA, it will be part of the employment contract, no drug policy for example.

    I've decided to keep out anything too personal to Mika, such as mandating requirements (for now....). For example, refraining from overtly tipping off vampires to the reader. The reader will already know its a book about vampires before they start reading so I'm keeping this in mind as well as I write. So, for the NDA, I'm thinking less personal to the individual and more centered on protecting the company. I don't want to scare her back to San Diego without a job. In my mind this will end up being like any other NDA, but an NDA is probably not a routine document for a Nurse to be signing, I wouldn't think. That alone, is strange, but in a good way from my perspective..... But there is a time when she is mandated requirements, but its a trade off, and not a good one, or is it?

    The blood test and DNA test have important roles to play as well, but that is for later. One may think the tests are for detecting genetic disease or disease in general etc... but its actually not related to either. In fact, I don't think the vampires have any concern about disease at all (their bodies will dissolve disease, its a non-factor)... But of course this is transparent to Mika. She thinks its just standard policy. After all, who would think any other reason? She'll find out later what the true reason behind these tests. The results, luckily, may end up saving her life one day, or does it?

    Okay, I'm going to go tackle this right now, thanks for the feedback!
     
  8. Cave Troll

    Cave Troll It's Coffee O'clock everywhere. Contributor

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    @KiloBravo this may help you with the technical aspect for your NDA,
    and I hope it is helpful for you and your story. And you can look up
    templates by state, and download the one that works for you for free.

    https://legaltemplates.net/form/non-disclosure-agreement/

    Good luck. :supersmile:
     
  9. Robert Musil

    Robert Musil Comparativist Contributor

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    Fun fact: I knew someone from Hell, MI once. I don't think he was a vampire though.

    I'm not familiar with the nursing profession, but in general it seems like NDAs have gotten really common in all sorts of fields lately. It's probably related to the big increase in patent trolling/IP paranoia of recent years. So even if it's not common for nurses, I (again, as someone with no real knowledge of the nursing profession) wouldn't find it too unbelievable.

    The blood and DNA tests seem a little bit more odd, but again in general in the US in recent years people have shown their willingness to go through all sorts of weird hoops for a job--and of course employers are perfectly willing to take advantage of that. So while that might up the weirdness factor for me, it wouldn't break my suspension of disbelief.

    I'd also just add that I'm not sure how legal any of this is, but if your MC is desperate for a job and not well versed in her legal rights (both of which, again are widespread traits among American workers in general) then I'd buy her agreeing to do things like a DNA test.
     
  10. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Thanks, perfect. I was looking at some templates online earlier. I used the NDA in the scene I just pushed out, but I didn't dive into details. Just had a doctor explain why its necessary... To protect the hospital and their cutting edge practices and innovative techniques that other companies/hospitals would love to get their hands on... and I left it at that. Explaining the DNA test was more difficult, but I think I'll leave it how I wrote that part as well, for now.
     
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  11. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Blood tests are required for nurses. Its to detect diseases because they'll be working with patients and the possibility of fluid exchange, etc... but, DNA is a reach.. =) But, I need it for later.... I've convinced my MC that the DNA test is required. I think she is coming around to the idea. Besides, the doctor explained to her that DNA is readily available (even hers), as he pulled a loose hair from her dress that had landed on her shoulder.
     
  12. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    Reading HIPAA compliance laws will answer some of this for you, too. HIPAA includes non-disclosure of patient information, but I'll bet there's verbiage in there you can twist to cover what you need. A friend of mine was an admin assist for a lecturing doctor, and even though she had no patient contact or medical records involvement, she was required to do HIPAA compliance training every year, in case she saw something in his notes as she was creating his presentations.

    edited to add commas
     
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  13. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Thanks, I'll be adding this in.
     
  14. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    An update. I've decided to keep the NDA clean. I also researched its not too uncommon. So, I will spin it in such a way that she is simply ignorant of the commonality of the NDA due to her lack of experience in the workforce (first job after graduation) etc... This will take a little minor editing, but that is for later.

    This NDA in its current state mostly covers the company's technology and that they have secret govt. approval to collect and tie into the United States DNA Index, including the FBI's Index, and I may even add an international DNA Index or something to that extent. The Hospital has their own DNA index as well and there are also some hints in the NDA related to this, but they are so simple and in the form of a puzzle (of sorts) that she nor even the reader would not be able to pick up on... until later. It will be rumored about with other Nurses... "What? When you signed the NDA you didn't realize that XYZ really meant ABD (Gossip)? I mean just switch those letters around, or remove that one letter, or read that backwards... And it spells THIS! OMG! (haha, anyway)" Still with that, she doesn't believe it... "Conspiracy Theory/Coincidence" and the other Nurses have lost their minds.....
     
  15. Shenanigator

    Shenanigator Has the Vocabulary of a Well-Educated Sailor. Contributor

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    Sounds cool.

    Also, just as an FYI so you don't accidentally mess yourself up in your plot at some point, keep in mind that in many states in the US, an NDA is automatically rendered invalid if the employee is asked to do something illegal as a regular part of their job, because (duh) you can't use the legal system to hide illegal activity.

    You'd be amazed at how many people --employers and employees-- don't know this.

    (I don't have a reference to cite here. My attorney mentioned it when we were drafting an NDA for my company.)
     
  16. Spacer

    Spacer Active Member

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    OK, I'm hooked.

    BTW, I worked for 13 years in Medical Imaging, and have been through HIPPA requirement stuff and whatnot.
     
  17. KiloBravo

    KiloBravo Member

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    Thanks!

    ***

    My wife is an RN, so I'll be eventually bouncing some stuff off her to keep me mildly accurate...ish. I'm not so sure it matters too much because my take is to leave it in general terms and just let the reader use their imagination whenever possible (not always the case, but when I can). I'm not going to spell out all the details. Something I've learned from reading this forum and also editing books.

    ***

    Recently I downloaded some Podcasts on writing and editing and some folklore ones to keep me motivated on the type of fiction I'm writing. Reading though some editing books have helped unexpectedly. In a sense they are also "how to write" books but with "editing" in the title.
     

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