Nurse files lawsuit over firing

edmia, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2014

Interesting. I wonder how this will end up resolving...

I understand she had lots of experience, but if the equipment was not compatible with the cable, I would do external pacing until a cardiac surgeon decided what to do. And even beyond that, why didn't the patient stay in the ED until stabilized?

All around bad situation and the hospital is using her as the scapegoat. But, she did decide to connect that cable...

RNIBCLC · Aug 16, 2014

In the article, it states they needed her expertise. So sounds like she was kind of on her own. Makes me question the staffing. This will be interesting to follow. :inlove:

SionainnRN · Aug 16, 2014

With only the info from the article to off of I think the firing was justified. The is no way she should have been stripping wires to rig a pacer! She could have very easily killed the pt. He was being externally paced and if he needed more interventions cardio should have been at bedside.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

If I am reading this correctly and if the patient had a single wire transvenous pacemaker, then this nurse acted way outside of her scope by trying to McGuyver it to work.

The ER nurse and ER physician who let the ambulance crew take the pacer box then dumped the patient in ICU were totally negligent.

The accepting doctor and cardiologist who didn't come in an float another wire were totally negligent as well.

Plenty of blame to go around in this scenario.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

Interesting. I wonder how this will end up resolving...
I understand she had lots of experience, but if the equipment was not compatible with the cable, I would do external pacing until a cardiac surgeon decided what to do. And even beyond that, why didn't the patient stay in the ED until stabilized?
All around bad situation and the hospital is using her as the scapegoat. But, she did decide to connect that cable...

Depends on the hospital but here it is not uncommon for ICU docs to push to get them upstairs even if they are not stable

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

If I am reading this correctly and if the patient had a single wire transvenous pacemaker, then this nurse acted way outside of her scope by trying to McGuyver it to work.
The ER nurse and ER physician who let the ambulance crew take the pacer box then dumped the patient in ICU were totally negligent.
The accepting doctor and cardiologist who didn't come in an float another wire were totally negligent as well.
Plenty of blame to go around in this scenario.

Agreed; unfortunately, they want to blame the nurse only...

I don't blame her for wanting the lawsuit though; it will be certainly interesting to see where it goes, although the hospital wanted a summary judgement instead if a jury trial. :whistling:

enuf_already · Aug 17, 2014

The article states "Hospital officials also deny "any and all liability" in regard to the defamation accusations. That includes Morrissey's claim that she was accused of exceeding the scope of her job, jeopardizing a patient's life and violating policy."

I wonder then what excuse the hospital gave for her suspension/termination, and later option to resign?

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

Depends on the hospital but here it is not uncommon for ICU docs to push to get them upstairs even if they are not stable

Yep, here too. The intensivists want the nurses they know.

anon456, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

Even when I am ready to save a patient's life I always have in the back of my mind liability issues and I would not try something I might get sued for, no matter how lifesaving it might be. That's a sad statement for how the world works, but it also protects people from trying to, for example, make a chest tube out of a ballpoint pen or something.

I imagine that the pacer might have totally blown up inside the patient or shocked him to death if the voltage was different. Like trying to plug a device into a socket that was made in England or China and splicing the wires to make it work it in the U.S.

If I had been this nurse (and of course it's always easier to judge when not in that situation) I would have probably called a code and if needed, started chest compressions until the docs came.

anon456, BSN, RN · Aug 17, 2014

Yep, here too. The intensivists want the nurses they know.

Sometimes they need to get upstairs so they can be started on ECMO or be put on the fancy ventilator or other things like that.

caliotter3 · Aug 17, 2014

This is the type of situation that makes a person wonder. I can see both sides of the story, however, I think the employer could have disciplined the nurse, even severely, without terminating her. She deserved that consideration. Any nurse would have deserved more consideration. But then, nurses are terminated every day for a lot less.....