Hospital sued for faces drawn on surgical patient

[Esme12]

What the heck is wrong with people these days!!!!

A Los Angeles woman is suing an area hospital and her anesthesiologist for allegedly putting a mustache and stickers on her face during surgery as part of a prank that she claims violated her dignity and endangered her health.

The unidentified woman, who worked as a surgical supply purchaser at the hospital, said her coworkers affixed a fake mustache above her lip and yellow tear drops below her left eye before a nurse snapped a photo, according to the suit.

"Perhaps the most vulnerable position any human being will ever endure in their life is a time when they are placed under full anesthesia," reads the lawsuit, which claims the woman was fully anesthetized rather than sedated "for the sole purpose of humiliating and embarrassing the patient."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/woman-sues-hospital-sticker-prank-surgery/story?id=20204405

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

I hope she is able to sue for emotional damages at the least. Her co-workers need to be held accountable.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

How could they not know better? :/

[llg, PhD, RN]

I would definitely sue, too. They violated her person and she is entitled to compensation. Given the circumstances (past history, etc.), I hope the hospital pays big time.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

Fake mustache prank during surgery prompts lawsuit

When a Los Angeles woman went in for surgery at the hospital where she works as a surgical supply purchaser, she apparently never imagined her co-workers-an anesthesiologist and a nurse-would plaster her face with a fake mustache and teardrop stickers while she was zonked out on anesthesia and snap photos of her as a prank. The pranksters allegedly showed the pictures to other co-workers, too. Now she's suing the hospital and staffers for violating her dignity and endangering her health. "Perhaps the most vulnerable position any human being will ever endure in their life is a time when they are placed under full anesthesia," the woman's lawsuit maintains, adding that she was placed under full anesthesia, rather than merely being sedated "for the sole purpose of humiliating and embarrassing" her. Torrance Memorial Medical Center has acknowledged to ABC News that the incident "regrettably" happened, but insists the prank was "intended to be humorous in nature." [Source

Here's the article I read that states the hospital opted for full anesthesia instead of sedation just so they could prank her.

[Caribbean Character]

For those of you who don't understand why the lawsuit, I will speak clear and concise. SHE WAS A PATIENT. SHE DESERVES THE SAME PRIVACY, RESPECT, AND CARE THAT ANY OTHER PATIENT RECEIVES. IF THEY DID THIS TO ANY OTHER PATIENT THE PENALTIES WOULD BE SEVER AND SWIFT AS THEY SHOULD BE. THEY VIOLATED THE CODE OF ETHICS.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Think if this poor woman had some measure of satisfaction from the facility, the JCAHO and or anyone else in this matter she may not have turned to legal action. However seeing as how everyone she turned to for some sort of justice investigated and found basically nothing wrong with this incident and or those involved, what other options were open?

Remember this is the same facility where in the not too distant past a sales rep was caught in the OR taking cellphone pictures of a nude patient. As to if the this female was simply left unattended and undraped, or the sales rep peeled back the sheets for a better view we do not know. However it does speak volumes that she was left alone and had the OR director not happened by not only would the incident likely gone without notice, who knows if the guy would have stopped at just taking pictures. Even if he kept his hands to himself what would he have done with those pictures on his cell phone?

Don't know what has happened to this here world in the past twenty or so years of the "technology revolution", but it seems to me a whole lot of persons done lost their minds. People from professionals and elected officials on down seem not to have the common sense God gave them at birth.

Remember these are the incidents we hear about in the media. If statistics and history are any guide there is more, much more going on that is either undetected or merely swept under the carpet.

Am glad this woman is suing, and hope she wins a judgment in the scores of millions or hundreds of millions. That seems to be the only thing these idiots understand. Having to pay hard cash for their stupidity.

For our part were it me or mines on the receiving end of one of these pranks or peeping camera episodes, well let us just say future Internet posts would be subject to prison restrictions.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Here is the kicker, apparently after the peeping sales rep in the OR the hospital instituted a no camera policy: Surgery photo leads to privacy lawsuit against Torrance Memorial - latimes.com

So why was the attending nurse and physician allowed to have and or use their cellphone camera to take these pictures? Also if there is a true no camera policy why weren't their serious consequences and repercussions for this violation?

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I draw lots of things on masks for when we have to wear them around kids a lot. Granted, its not the same as this but it is fun. My current favorite is BANE

[BlueLightRN]

It's not like they were at a party and they drew a mustache on a passed out drunk coworker or something. A patient who was vulnerable they took advantage of, this is unacceptable.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Being vulnerable and helpless is the most intolerable situation I can imagine.

When I had my surgery, I didn't fear pain, complications, or even death. I was terrified of being at the mercy of someone else.

I've posted before that those of you who can't imagine the above, good for you.

I'd sue. Every single person in the operating room. Hospital, MD, nurse, tech... Not for the money, but in an effort to feel in control again.

That's not "normal", but neither is taking pictures of an unconscious woman and thinking it's fun.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Being vulnerable and helpless is the most intolerable situation I can imagine.

When I had my surgery, I didn't fear pain, complications, or even death. I was terrified of being at the mercy of someone else.

I've posted before that those of you who can't imagine the above, good for you.

I'd sue. Every single person in the operating room. Hospital, MD, nurse, tech... Not for the money, but in an effort to feel in control again.

That's not "normal", but neither is taking pictures of an unconscious woman and thinking it's fun.

Sadly what passes for "normal" behavior in this ghastly age is becoming abandonment of all morals and judgment when it comes to these sort of things.

How many media reports have we all seen of a young girl who passes out at a party and is abused or even used all caught on not one but often numerous cell phone cameras. Worse still those pictures and videos are now distributed for God and the world to see as "fun".

Fights, crime, violence, invasion of privacy, you name it and someone has recorded it and usually posted it on the Internet Just this week a young man involved in a hit and run accident that left a man dead made his Facebook "confession" before turning himself in to LE.

What bothers me is how easily the nursing staff in the OR went along with this "joke". So much for being an advocate for your patient.

[LeeLeeTheGPN]

I'd sue too. In a heartbeat.