[HM2Viking]

She had done absolutely nothing wrong. If she had typed the letter on her office computer she would have violated ethics rules. Taking a job with the federal government does not waive your constitutional rights.

The sad thing is that if she had said "hurray for our side" she would not have been investigated.

[sirI]

Posts # 2, 8, 9 - 11 merged with existing thread.

[MichaelFloridaRN]

And this actually takes anyone by surprise in the day of our great Fuhrer Herr Bush and his propaganda minister Herr Cheney?

Ups bad post, I guess the GeStaPo will at be the door soon........

[ocankhe]

Just a passing thought, would the government have taken the same action against her if she wasn't a government employee?
I do agree with her position.

[RedZeppelinRN]

Originally Posted by Diahni

Hi Everybody,
I don't know if there is a thread for this - I found this article in the NY Times about Laura Berg, a VA nurse who spoke out about the war and was almost fired. Might anyone know if there is an ongoing thread about nurses in the news?
Diahni
Here's the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/opinion/27sun3.html

Wonderful, wonderful, lady. We need more nurses like her.

Red

[RedZeppelinRN]

Originally Posted by ingelein

Wow, do we still live in a democracy?

Are your kidding? At least for not the last 8 years.

Red

[RedZeppelinRN]

Originally Posted by MichaelFloridaRN

And this actually takes anyone by surprise in the day of our great Fuhrer Herr Bush and his propaganda minister Herr Cheney?

Ups bad post, I guess the GeStaPo will at be the door soon........

He, He! I'm getting used to them though.

Red

[gentlegiver]

Originally Posted by ingelein

Wow, do we still live in a democracy?

That apparently depends on whether what you have to say is in line with the governments view of how life should be in this here country. My Father, Uncles, Brothers, Friends fought in various wars to allow us to keep the right to free speech. I for one am not going to allow this basic of rights to be taken away with out a fight. HOORAY!!! for Laura Berg! SHe is definately one of my hero's! Whether I agree with her or not (I do btw) she stood up for all of us!

:u p:

[marikat534]

You go Laura Berg!

[Iamlicensed!]

Without taking sides, I wish to expound on what I consider another aspect of this matter. When are healthcare workers allowed to bring their personal beliefs into their workplace? A) NEVER. No religion, No political, No personal , No cultural, No gender based, No diplomatic or undiplomatic ideas or attach them to our careers or jobs since this is a country at war, always will be at war either on our own soil or in a military fashion. If I worked in an abortion clinic, and wrote my opinions about it to a paper, okay. If I said that congress is to blame for women murdering embryos, for the doctor to be allowed to commit murder, and thus I felt killing was immorally taking palce on American soil etc etc ... would that get me into hot water, sure. Would it be wrong? Depends on who you talk to. Sadly this does mean we HAVE TO THINK B4 WE WRITE, ACT, TALK, and yes use tact, that is a sign of professionalism. Silence is Golden, Less said soonest mended, all that, UNLESS WE WANT TO INVITE CONTROVERSY INTO OUR PRIVATE LIVES. If I as a CNA think its okay to verbalize a belief against war, while working in a VA hospital , go public with it, than I better be woman enough to protect my right to do so IF I Do IT NOT IN AN ANONYMOUS Matter, for once I speak out, anything can and will be used against me. I hold my peace many a day knowing I am the C N a, I answer to doctor and nurses but I would jump in and fight for abortion rights to be upheld or not be uphheld on my own time from my own computer if I did not work at an abortion clinic! This is a newer code of ethics being taught to PCT's and only for maybe the past few years,which most students do not remeber, so many older students or people who went to nursing school even 10 years ago had to learn. This is another way our country has changed since 2001. It was a slow train coming for most people, but then again this writer has chosen to ride public transportation for 20 years ,gave up her car for "wings" never travels by car, only mass transportation when needed, bikes on a bicycle all over creation, when it rains I take the bus.I also wondered if the VA hospital had a policy written in her employee orientation handbook about what one must and must not do in a situation where the press asks questions, or anything in the culture of the VA hospital on oh let's dare say how to handle a pt who is a terrorist, or a pt who is an illegal alien with false credentials and Id, or mayhaps what one is allowed to say and do at work on their work computer, rather than library computer in town or at home. Probably nothing much is said about all that but what exactly is in Q here amounts to ethics, pure and simple. WE as healthcare professionals are held to a higher standard if and only if we do our jobs at work, leave our personal beliefs out of the entire equation due to sesitivity of each of our pts. What if her superiors feel she harbors ill will towards pts in her care, not just the war itself, there is a whole other ballgame. That woman needed to research her material, find out what in the world a nurse is doing working in a VA pschye center rather than building up the next generation, I hear its better by far and easier to build up our children than to repair men. There is nothing one can do about the past, its the future that matters, in future generations she can be a hero, now is the time to quit wasting time and if you can no longer agree with policies of a government, work somewhere else. Work in schools... there is the place to start... work with women, work with people who appreciate the effort.