Hospital Bosses Ignored Months of Doctors' Warnings About Lucy Letby

[Emergent, RN]

Hospital bosses ignored months of doctors' warnings about Lucy Letby---BBC

Quote

The hospital also delayed calling the police despite months of warnings that the nurse may have been killing babies.

The unit's lead consultant Dr Stephen Brearey first raised concerns about Letby in October 2015.

No action was taken and she went on to attack five more babies, killing two.

Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others in a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, in Cheshire.

The first five murders all happened between June and October 2015 and - despite months of warnings - the final two were in June 2016.

BBC Panorama and BBC News have been investigating how Letby was able to murder and harm so many babies for so long.

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Not the first time this has happened in UK. Beverly Allitt killed several children on a paediatric unit:

https://www.amazon.fr/Murder-Ward-Four-Biggest-Criminal/dp/0701148136

There is a problem where whistleblowers are sometimes ignored and seen as trouble makers, until it's all too late. I'm not sure this is a specifically British problem. We had a case in France of a nurse finishing people off in old people's homes.

We are in a great position of trust and it's extremely hard to know how to strike that balance of policing professionals' behaviour while having confidence in their professional autonomy. Hopefully lessons will be learned. 

The book about Allitt is a striking example of how NOT to do things. Allitt was a newly qualified SEN (equivalent LVN/LPN) in her very first post often left in a position where you would have expected to find a qualified registered nurse with the specialist paediatric qualification. I am not undermining the capabilities of second level nurses such as SENs or LPNs, but such an inexperienced new nurse in a specialist area should have been working under greater supervision than she was. Though at the end of the day, her qualifications and experience have little bearing on the fact  that she was a psychopath. 

[Emergent, RN]

I wonder what sort of mental condition causes someone to do such an aberrant crime? It's hard to wrap one's head around this. The woman was by all appearances a normal, nice young professional. There was nothing to be gained by these twisted and evil acts. What is the inner life of someone like this?

[Davey Do]

Think of the human mammal as an animal, each with their own wired personality. In many species of animals, one or both parents, even the other adult animals for that matter, will eat the young. We say it is instinct, that they are driven by neural processes due to millions of years of evolution.

An argument may be given in that the human animal possesses a higher consciousness which is guided by a conscience, rules guidelines, and laws, yet these so-called aberrant behaviors continue in every class and society.

The vast majority is in denial of the power of instincts, hormones, or other typical human functions and the subsequent behavioral reactions. This denial concept could also explain the apathetic inactions of those who are aware of these crimes.

Edgar Cayce said something along the lines of, "That which drives the greatest good can also result in the worst evil".

[klone, MSN, RN]

Sociopathic personality and attention-seeking. 

[Davey Do]

Attention seekers are fulfilled due to the response of others- they crave that response- whereas a sociopath (an archaic term, replaced by antisocial) are apathetic and often comfortable with their behavior.

If we think of a behavior in which we are driven and don't need to deal with the ramifications thereof, we will continue that behavior. This is not only a rule of behavior, but also a law of physics.

[Emergent, RN]

I don't think this was attention seeking behavior. Lucy was very secretive in her morbid hobby.

Someone who goes and shoots up a school is definitely engaging in a bizarre form of negative attention seeking.

[JKL33]

Neither here nor there but something about the prosecution case seems a bit underwhelming to me? Maybe just differences in how things are done and what makes it to the public. Not sure.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Emergent said:

I don't think this was attention seeking behavior. Lucy was very secretive in her morbid

I meant attention-seeking in the sympathy she received from coworkers because she was the "poor nurse" who took care of all these patients. The attention she received from fellow nurses and some physicians was I'm sure very validating. 

[Emergent, RN]

klone said:

I meant attention-seeking in the sympathy she received from coworkers because she was the "poor nurse" who took care of all these patients. The attention she received from fellow nurses and some physicians was I'm sure very validating. 

Gotcha. Yes, some nurses have killed in order to be heroes, or be where the action is. They haven't gone into great detail whether that was an aspect of her motive.

[GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

?First and foremost, my condolences to all the families involved. Whatever the case, this is very sad and a horrible situation.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

Emergent said:

I wonder what sort of mental condition causes someone to do such an aberrant crime? It's hard to wrap one's head around this. The woman was by all appearances a normal, nice young professional. There was nothing to be gained by these twisted and evil acts. What is the inner life of someone like this?

I'd say sociopath is at least 1.