Amber Vinson has obtained a high power attorney

Nurses COVID

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Watch video as well, since medical correspondent Dr. John LaPook highly stresses to listen to the nurses, for they are the forefront and know what is going on.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebola-patient-amber-vinson-hires-high-powered-attorney/

Amber Vinson, the second nurse in Dallas to contract the Ebola virus, has retained a high-profile attorney, her family said in a statement. In the statement, obtained by CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland, the family said they "are troubled by some of the negative public comments and media coverage that mischaracterize Amber and her actions."

"Suggestions that she ignored any of the physician and government-provided protocols recommended to her are patently untrue and hurtful. In the interest of Amber and our family, we have retained esteemed attorney Billy Martin to provide us with legal counsel during this unfortunate and troubling time," the family said in the statement. Martin's past clients include Michael Vick and disgraced former Idaho Senator Larry Craig.

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Nurses on the front line in the fight against Ebola

Vinson was among the team of medical professionals who treated the first person to die of Ebola on U.S. soil, Thomas Eric Duncan. Between Sept. 30-Oct. 2 and Oct. 5-Oct. 8, Vinson actively engaged in caring for Duncan, records show. She inserted catheters, drew blood, and dealt with Duncan's body fluids while wearing protective gear. On Oct. 10, two days after Duncan died, the 29-year-old Vinson flew into Cleveland from Dallas. She visited a bridal salon in Akron the following day, and that same night fellow nurse Nina Pham tested positive for the disease.

Specializes in School Nursing.

Probably a good idea that they did this.

Ruby Vee, BSN

17 Articles; 14,030 Posts

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

As much vitriol towards Amber as we've seen on THIS forum, I can only imagine what the rest of the world is saying about her. Hiring an attorney is probably a fabulous idea. And then there's the idea that she might sue her employer for letting her down.

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Her attorney can report the unsafe working conditions to OSHA on her behalf. At a minimum, Texas Health should pay her hospital bill and pay for lost wages as well.

In the shadow of a terrible incident, it is a relief to hear that these women, these RNs, are sticking up for themselves. It is time for the world (and not just our families) to know that RNs are not pushovers that tow the company line. We advocate not only for our patients, but for ourselves and our families as well.

Thimbalina

119 Posts

Kick Ass Amber. Just kick ASS!

It's my hope that Texas Presbyterian gets their asses shut down and be made an example of. Ebola was the match that lit the fire, but the firewood and paper, not to mention gasoline has been there for a long time, even before the ebola crisis. They have been screwing over nurses for a long time, and it's taken a massive crisis to bring this to light. I hope the nurses keep the spotlight on Texas Presbytarian even when ebola dies down.

tyvin, BSN, RN

1,620 Posts

Specializes in Hospice / Psych / RNAC.

Are you serious! I can think of a mountain of civil suits both of them can enact. They both won't have to work a day in their lives. This won't even make it to court. It was the attorney who found her...

We'll never hear of the out of court settlement that will happen and they won't be able to say a word since they will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement unless you can say sovereign immunity. IOW; take the deal that gets cooked up and avoid the courts.

You girls might want to think about the EEOC and if protocol dictates it (FYI).

Kick Butt...both of you!

BTW; it's the nurses who are being nasty and who cares, the rest of the world is calling them HEROS!

Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
Watch video as well, since medical correspondent Dr. John LaPook highly stresses to listen to the nurses, for they are the forefront and know what is going on.

LOVE it!!!

NanikRN

392 Posts

Specializes in Oncology, Rehab, Public Health, Med Surg.
It's my hope that Texas Presbyterian gets their asses shut down and be made an example of. Ebola was the match that lit the fire but the firewood and paper, not to mention gasoline has been there for a long time, even before the ebola crisis. They have been screwing over nurses for a long time, and it's taken a massive crisis to bring this to light. I hope the nurses keep the spotlight on Texas Presbytarian even when ebola dies down.[/quote']

What a foolish, uneducated reply. You have one years experience. You live in N Dakota. On what grounds do you possibly make that judgement?

I, on the other hand, work at Presby. I am not being screwed around by them. And the nurses aren't keeping the spotlight on them. One nurse is. And a nurses union that has never set foot in the hospital. Oh yes, they can make their claims based on annonymous phone calls by nurses

Claims that they dont have to substanuate.

If trash was "piled to the ceiling", why wouldnt Amber and Nina speak out as well? They didnt- instead they voiced their support. Surely they cant be feeling pressure from Presby. They are in the limelight. No matter what opinion they voiced, thet would be strongly supported by the medical community and the nation at large. They're heros. ---and they spoke about their loyalty and strong support for Presbyterian Hospital

I'm not claiming that the process went smoothly. Looking back now of course we see things that we wish could have happened differently . I'm proud that my hospital has the strength to acknowledge and even apologize for those mistakes publicly.

We were the test hospital, the first hospital to be presented with an undiagnosed ebola patient. Mistakes were made but they were made in good faith. And many were based on the then current CDC protocals at that time.

Presby is facing an undeserved stigma now. A major hospital near us had their employees sign a paper that they had not been to Africa recently, had visitors from Africa, or had anyone at their household working at *Presbyterian*.

Two daycares i know of-ones where many drs and nurses have their kids--called Presbyterian workers and told them to pick up their children. And to keep them home for 30 days because their parents work at Presby.

They then redrew the request when parents threatened legal but imagine leaving your children where theyre not wanted. You have to wonder- are those kids being treated differently because their parents take care of ill people?

And one of the nurses i work with got "uninvited" from her daughter in law's baby shower. First grandbaby. Yep, because she works at Presbyterian. Heartbreaking.

We did the best we could with what we knew at the time. And we did as well if not better than many hospitals would have done if presented with the first case of undiagnosed ebola in an ER

And we have an excellent hospital with an excellent team of healthcare workers

So lay off with the uneducated judgements on us-- we're getting enough of them already from people in our own community

Emergent, RN

4,242 Posts

Specializes in ER.

It's good she got an attorney. She has been unfairly raked over the coals. Classic blame the victim tactics. Shameless.

As far as what happened at Presbyterian hospital, I daresay that the same fiasco would have occurred at whatever hospital had the misfortune of an unexpected Ebola fatality. They just drew the short straw here. I know my hospital would have not fared any better, or any others. Think of it as an Ebola Pearl Harbor. We were all stunned by this horror.

Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
What a foolish, uneducated reply. You have one years experience. You live in N Dakota. On what grounds do you possibly make that judgement?

I, on the other hand, work at Presby. I am not being screwed around by them. And the nurses aren't keeping the spotlight on them. One nurse is. And a nurses union that has never set foot in the hospital. Oh yes, they can make their claims based on annonymous phone calls by nurses

Claims that they dont have to substanuate.

If trash was "piled to the ceiling", why wouldnt Amber and Nina speak out as well? They didnt- instead they voiced their support. Surely they cant be feeling pressure from Presby. They are in the limelight. No matter what opinion they voiced, thet would be strongly supported by the medical community and the nation at large. They're heros. ---and they spoke about their loyalty and strong support for Presbyterian Hospital

I'm not claiming that the process went smoothly. Looking back now of course we see things that we wish could have happened differently . I'm proud that my hospital has the strength to acknowledge and even apologize for those mistakes publicly.

We were the test hospital, the first hospital to be presented with an undiagnosed ebola patient. Mistakes were made but they were made in good faith. And many were based on the then current CDC protocals at that time.

Presby is facing an undeserved stigma now. A major hospital near us had their employees sign a paper that they had not been to Africa recently, had visitors from Africa, or had anyone at their household working at *Presbyterian*.

Two daycares i know of-ones where many drs and nurses have their kids--called Presbyterian workers and told them to pick up their children. And to keep them home for 30 days because their parents work at Presby.

They then redrew the request when parents threatened legal but imagine leaving your children where theyre not wanted. You have to wonder- are those kids being treated differently because their parents take care of ill people?

And one of the nurses i work with got "uninvited" from her daughter in law's baby shower. First grandbaby. Yep, because she works at Presbyterian. Heartbreaking.

We did the best we could with what we knew at the time. And we did as well if not better than many hospitals would have done if presented with the first case of undiagnosed ebola in an ER

And we have an excellent hospital with an excellent team of healthcare workers

So lay off with the uneducated judgements on us-- we're getting enough of them already from people in our own community

I was hoping a nurse from THPH would post. Thank you.

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