A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of impregnating woman in a vegetative state who gave birth last month at a Phoenix health care facility, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said Wednesday.
Nathan Sutherland, a licensed practical nurse who was caring for the woman at the Hacienda HealthCare facility, has been arrested and is being booked on preliminary charges of sexual assault and vulnerable-adult abuse, Williams said.
Massive patient loads mixed with high turnover rate can go a long way to explain how no one noticed. I work in a 200 bed facility, alternating between six halls. And, at two years, I am already one of the highest senior nurses. I can see myself missing this on a resident I see once or twice a week, mostly just for medication administration. Especially if pre-existing obesity masked an obvious “belly bump”.
And, as someone else mentioned, a potential pregnancy isn’t exactly the sort of thing your mind would go to easily in this sort of setting.
I agree... and further, would not the family notice as well?
I haven’t heard, but perhaps the family wasn’t heavily involved. Sadly, happens in LTC every day. I’m wondering if she was a large woman or perhaps the baby just carried in a way that wouldn’t be noticed. As far as questions I’ve heard about (lack of) menstral period, with her vegetative state, perhaps she hadn’t had any for a long time, or was extremely irregular. I’m not making excuses, but have worked LTC and seen oddities (not quite like this), where people question, and despite the best care, there are no answers. If she had huge bedsores, I’d agree to lack of care. But all articles point to an otherwise intact body.
All that aside, this goon should be locked up forever!
On 1/26/2019 at 10:26 AM, Nurse Beth said:
Every year we are voted the most trusted profession and he has disgraced us.
That’s what hit me the hardest. Just because he’s a sick individual, the public will have bad things in the back of their minds, questioning everything normal instead of looking for the out of the ordinary that should alert them to a harmful situation
I haven’t heard, but perhaps the family wasn’t heavily involved. Sadly, happens in LTC every day. I’m wondering if she was a large woman or perhaps the baby just carried in a way that wouldn’t be noticed. As far as questions I’ve heard about (lack of) menstral period, with her vegetative state, perhaps she hadn’t had any for a long time, or was extremely irregular. I’m not making excuses, but have worked LTC and seen oddities (not quite like this), where people question, and despite the best care, there are no answers. If she had huge bedsores, I’d agree to lack of care. But all articles point to an otherwise intact body.
All that aside, this goon should be locked up forever!
That’s what hit me the hardest. Just because he’s a sick individual, the public will have bad things in the back of their minds, questioning everything normal instead of looking for the out of the ordinary that should alert them to a harmful situation
Far as Hacienda Health facility in question, that ship has already sailed.
Soon as story broke family of patients began telling media that trust was "broken". Cameras are being placed in patients rooms by family. Some family members are moving into patients rooms, and or at least staying overnight. In general what normally happens has done so: all staff are "guilty" until proven innocent.
Meanwhile the facility itself instituted new rules basically mandating no male staff member may care for/enter a female patient's room alone. So now male nurses and aides have to buddy up with a female staff member. This obviously is causing issues with staff and they have complained since the place isn't exactly the most luxurious in terms of staffing.
As for that "most trusted" profession...., media reports began not soon after this story hit that if people think this is an isolated incident, they'd better think again. If you believe some reports/comments abuse of patients in LTC, rehab, nursing homes and other facilities is rampant and common.
I haven’t heard, but perhaps the family wasn’t heavily involved. Sadly, happens in LTC every day. I’m wondering if she was a large woman or perhaps the baby just carried in a way that wouldn’t be noticed. As far as questions I’ve heard about (lack of) menstral period, with her vegetative state, perhaps she hadn’t had any for a long time, or was extremely irregular. I’m not making excuses, but have worked LTC and seen oddities (not quite like this), where people question, and despite the best care, there are no answers. If she had huge bedsores, I’d agree to lack of care. But all articles point to an otherwise intact body.
All that aside, this goon should be locked up forever!
That’s what hit me the hardest. Just because he’s a sick individual, the public will have bad things in the back of their minds, questioning everything normal instead of looking for the out of the ordinary that should alert them to a harmful situation
Former caregiver of the young patient in question gave a media interview in which she stated the woman's large and extended family visited often. They are American Indian from a local tribe and (former) caretaker stated often large groups of fifteen or more family/tribe members would visit. This was at least every two or three months.
As noted part of being named legal guardian for her daughter the mother at least was required to make regular visits; which she did, at least once per month IIRC.
PHOENIX — Lawyers for an incapacitated woman who later gave birth at a Phoenix long-term care facility have filed a $45 million notice of claim against the state, saying she may have been impregnated before....
... The claim seeks a $25 million settlement for the victim and $10 million for each of her parents within 60 days or the lawyers will take the case to court....
...According to medical records cited in the claim, the woman was "violently and repeatedly raped" while living at Hacienda and a doctor who examined her on the day she gave birth noted that she could have been pregnant before.
“At a minimum, there were repeated violations of [the victim] from the scarring,” John Micheaels, an attorney representing the victim and her family, told Phoenix TV station KPNX.....
...The claim says Sutherland provided unsupervised care for the victim over 1,000 times, including more than 800 times overnight.
I believe that one preventative measure would be to institute video monitoring for at risk clients. We had this in several PCU’s and ICU’s where I have worked and I believe that it helps prevent patients from abuse and nurses from unfounded accusations. It can also be a resource for obtaining emergent orders and monitoring patient condition. Some people including nurses will always act in an evil manner and the system must be designed to address this fact.
BrandonLPN, LPN
3,358 Posts
Massive patient loads mixed with high turnover rate can go a long way to explain how no one noticed. I work in a 200 bed facility, alternating between six halls. And, at two years, I am already one of the highest senior nurses. I can see myself missing this on a resident I see once or twice a week, mostly just for medication administration. Especially if pre-existing obesity masked an obvious “belly bump”.
And, as someone else mentioned, a potential pregnancy isn’t exactly the sort of thing your mind would go to easily in this sort of setting.