Is it abandonment if you're sick?

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Is it abandonment if you get really sick during your shift and have to leave immediately? What if the sickness isn't physical? I reported to work last year and before accepting my assignment, I told my supervisor that something was wrong. I felt really weird and out of control. I also reported to her that I had attempted to kill myself shortly before work by taking an excessive amount of mediaction and that I needed help. I was told that there was no one to cover me and to drink some coffee and get to work. I wanted to just leave but didn't want to be fired, I thought maybe I can just work through this. I couldn't. Three hours into my shift I swallowed the rest of the meds I had. I was taken to the hospital after being found unconscious. Now I'm being charged with patient abandonment. They say it's because I was not sick that I made a conscious choice to commit suicide. I argued that if I had had a heart attack I wouldn't be being charged and that in most cases heart disease is caused by a lifetime of conscious choices to eat crappy food, do drugs, smoke, etc. They said it's not the same. So is it abandonment or is it discrimination against the mentally ill?

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I would seek legal advice. We can not provide legal advice here per the TOS.

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

I'm having a hard time believing this post is real. First time poster, joined AN today, controversial topic.

If this is real, I agree that you should seek both legal and psychiatric help. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I agree. You need legal advice, not advice from this website. I hope your illness is undercontrol now and you are doing better.

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Ethics assignment.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

We can't give legal advice and your story is fishy.

You would have us believe that you tried to kill yourself at home, but then collected yourself enough to go to work?! And then finish the job at work? I don't believe this story and agree with another poster that this sounds like a homework assignment.

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"So is it abandonment or is it discrimination against the mentally ill? "

Sounds more like impaired nurse.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Ethics assignment.

Troll..........:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Closed for review.

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