How would you handle this and what is your opinion?

Published

Last night I was watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER. There was a female doctor who was taking care of a stab victim. She said it was unlike anything she had ever seen b/c most stab victims don't look like the attacker was trying to kill them. But this individual had a stab wound near the heart. She said that she knew whoever did this was trying to kill the man. He was making jokes and seemed very friendly. After an x-ray she said that it had punctured his lung and caused it to collapse (nemothorax). When she was about to numb the area to make the incision between his ribs she asked him who did this to him. He replied that it was his wife. Then the doctor asked why would she do this to you. And he replied with no change in expression or tone of voice I was beating the crap out of her. She said he showed no remorse. She was filled with rage, because she said she has seen women who are abused but is usually never faced with the man who did it. She then told the nurse we won't be needing this, and handed the anesthesia to her. She told him this is going to be painful then she then proceded to make an incision in between two of his ribs then placed the tube in to reinflate the lung. He was in so much pain there were nurses holding him down. Now obviously she could lose her license doing this, so she wanted to remain anonymous during the interview. She still works at that hospital.

What is your opinion on this and how would you have handled it if you would have been the doctor's nurse?

Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

You are duty bound to care for the patient. We are not to sit as judge and jury of the world. The only caveat to this, is that we as healthcare providers do not have to participate in care that goes against our religious or moral principles and this of course is leading to abortion, morning-after pill, etc.

This MD and care team should care for the patient and let the police worry about the rest.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Actually I thought this was pretty funny till I realized that it wasn't on ER (complete fiction) but on Untold Stories of the ER ("true" stories, with extensive editing, plus lots of reenactment and embellishment). This nurse did what we'd all like to do sometime (payback the moleters, wife-beaters, child abusers...) but everyone knows better than to even think of!, so maybe this whole thing is not even worth our discussion ...but the larger picture is always worth our consideration: which is how hard it is to always offer compassionate treatment to genuinely nasty, creepy, or criminal/antisocial types. We simply MUST, if we are to remain of a higher species. Anything less and then we become the same. Now how repulsive would THAT be?? (Plus once in a rare while, kindness has the potential to changes the heart of the recipient. I believe that it can happen- maybe just 1 in a million times kindness is extended to a seemingly undeserving person- but it HAS been known to happen!)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The only caveat to this, is that we as healthcare providers do not have to participate in care that goes against our religious or moral principles and this of course is leading to abortion, morning-after pill, etc.

Is that statement completely accurate? I have always been told we could object to providing care to someone on the basis of religious or moral principles BUT until the care was transferred we still had to care for the patient. This is a big issue with pharmacists right now and the morning after pill. Walmart just got into trouble over this too. I think the limited court rulings and laws have sided against the pharmacists withholding the morning after pill due to their beliefs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
You are duty bound to care for the patient. We are not to sit as judge and jury of the world. The only caveat to this, is that we as healthcare providers do not have to participate in care that goes against our religious or moral principles and this of course is leading to abortion, morning-after pill, etc.

This MD and care team should care for the patient and let the police worry about the rest.

well said!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

:angryfire I saw the same show yesterday evening. I am still a student and watching what that doctor did disgusted me. Yes I understand that this doctor may have been angered at the fact that this man showed no remorse towards beating his wife, but who is this doctor to decide that he doesn't deserve pain meds. I thought is was completely unethical on her part to do through with a procedure like that! Now I did questions one thing, when this doctor charts the procedure would'nt she have to note the pain meds used and if another doctor or nurse came across this chart and noticed that nothing was noted wouldn't that raise a Red Flag? They didn't get into anything like that and as a student (who hasn't done any clinicals yet or nursing courses) I would like to know how that would be handled in the hospital. Do charts get reviewed at all?

I also thought that the nurse who went along with the whole procedure would also be held liable for not going against the doctor's decision. I was watching this show with my husband and he made the comment that he didn't disagree with the doc's actions. I think he was thinking with his emotions at that monent instead of his head. I said to him that it is out right wrong. I am assuming that I will come across patients in my studies and after I graduate that I do not like, but it is my job to get them well and to make them comfortable while doing that.

SHAME ON THAT DOCTOR! SHE SHOULD NOT BE PRACTICING MEDICINE ANYMORE!:madface:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If someone was in the ER after having beaten me

or someone I care for

I would still prefer to see them have pain meds.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

Just my 2 cents

I am impressed that not one person agree with what the doctor did. I do think that it was bad judgement. However how many of you would have least thought about it? I think someone might have had different reactions if in that situation, without time to calm down. My first gut reaction was "he got what he deserved" When given a few moments to think about it, Yes it was wrong. would the doctor have done the same thing if she walked away for a couple of minutes to think about it? You know like count to ten. Just something to think about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care.
This type of behavior is indefensible. It is legally, morally and eethically wrong, and I would certainly hope that the doctor involved would be reported and held accountable for her actions.

.......

She doesn't get to be judge, jury, and executioner.

But it does make for good TV. I wonder how REAL that was anyway. Not that I dont beleive someone would do that, but it was a "reality" TV show, not reality! That untold ER stories show is reenactments, not actual footage. "supposedly" real

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Norwyn - I wasn't implying that you didn't transfer care of a patient. Of course, you would do that. However, putting in this chest tube could have been handled by a different MD and RN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds ER.
But it does make for good TV. I wonder how REAL that was anyway. Not that I dont beleive someone would do that, but it was a "reality" TV show, not reality! That untold ER stories show is reenactments, not actual footage. "supposedly" real

Balder raises a good point. Just cuz it's on TV does not mean it actually happened or that it's real. I'd say you would be hard pressed to find a whole GROUP of medical professionals who would do this. I mean maybe I'm really naive, but I just don't see it happening. I mean look at this group. Not one person said they thought it'd be ok. So why would you not have had at least ONE nurse/doctor/aid/tech/etc on the show say "hey this ain't kosher?"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.

What she did is unethical and illegal. Although we can all probably understand the emotion behind the act, our licenses are contingent upon carrying out our responsibility to provide the same standard of care to all our patients, without allowing our emotions to enter into our medical decisions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Me being a non abuser guy and husband I totally agree with what the doc did no anesthetizing the patient prior to inserting the chest tube now he know what pain feel like when being physically abused....and then again what the doc did was wrong also. So with this I'm on both side but, if I had to choose I would totally agree with some of you about reporting the doc to my manger and chief of staff as well and anyone who is willing to to reprimand her for what she did to that patient.... Bad doctor bad lololo

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion