Nurses Promoting COVID Misinformation

[Tigerlily8]

I am aware of a former colleague (RN) who is frequently posting inaccurate information on Twitter. She is discouraging social distancing, wearing masks and mandatory vaccination. She recently has been promoting the use of unproven medications to treat Covid-19 and states the pandemic is a hoax. This behavior reflects poorly on all health care providers, especially nurses. I don’t know what I could do other than reporting her to the Texas BON. Any ideas?

[toomuchbaloney]

31 minutes ago, jive turkey said:

 It certainly doesn't encourage them to get the shot.

What would encourage them to get a shot? 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

On 9/26/2021 at 5:28 PM, Mini2544 said:

Mistakes were made in 2020 and mistakes are still being made today. IF it wasn’t for the administration in charge prior, we wouldn’t have a vaccine. End of story. You can try to argue semantics but this current one can’t even get the story straight on booster shots.  At the end of the day this disease is an uncontrollable virus.  Vaccination without a doubt is the only way to prevent illness and death.  The original point of my comment is that I have seen a heck of a lot of nurses publically say they hospitals should turn away unvaccinated patients.  So if we are going to put energy into holding nurses responsible for violating our code of ethics… we should include those too.  I do not agree with discouraging people from vaccination, that’s dangerous and counterproductive. However if a nurse doesn’t want to take the vaccine and he or she talks publicly about it as their personal medical choice.. there is nothing wrong with that.  

Of COURSE we would have had a vaccine!  The scientists and drug companies would do what they do best.  You can't believe that Trump had his personal tiny fingers involved with any of the nitty gritty of this global cooperative effort.  The vaccine actually came together as quickly as it did in spite of him.  He has been bankrupted 4 times.  If he can't run his own business how can he possible coordinate this feat that the  entire world developed together.    Cooperation was never his strong suit.  He even created the vaccine hesitants that won't take the vaccine that "he devoped."  His personal vaccination status was kept under wraps and he never did a single PSA encouraging the public to get vaccinated.  Ironic that he was booed at his own rally in Alabama for asking people to get vaccinated.  He CREATED these defectives in his own mold.

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

On 9/27/2021 at 8:40 PM, jive turkey said:

If a murderer and pedophile can get medical care, so can an unvaccinated person.

… but if the murderer or pedophile refuses vaccination, he or she might not get care, and for the same reason. 

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good idea about reporting the poster to Twitter.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/17/Twitter-report-misinformation/

I really can't believe that the "it's a hoax" idea is out there.   Seems like those people were shot down when they got covid or someone they know got covid.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

On 9/29/2021 at 5:34 PM, Hannahbanana said:

… but if the murderer or pedophile refuses vaccination, he or she might not get care, and for the same reason. 

I really appreciate the logic here.  So little out there!

[toomuchbaloney]

 

[Gooday]

When vaccine first came out I was against it.   I wanted to wait until a few million people got it and see if there were any side effects because my body tends to experience almost all of them with everything I have taken over the years.  I waited and did not see any extreme adverse reactions or side effects and because I'm older, I decided to get the vaccine even though we don't know how our bodies respond long-term.   The risk of getting the disease at my age outweighed my cautious nature.  There are quite a few medications that were thought to be safe and are now discontinued because we now know that they are not safe.   Would I take someone's license because they are cautious or disagree with current research?  Personally, I think its a constitutional violation of free speech.   Doctors and nurses have different and various opinions on all kinds of treatment's and medications.   Zantac has recently been found to have carcinogens and has been recalled.  For years the science said it was safe, there are 100s of meds like that.  We did not find out until years latter that they harmful, cause stroke, neuropathy and other problems.  I wound not compare that to the vaccines, I personally believe there safe and as many people as possible should get them.   I do believe hospitals should have the right to mandate there employees mask wearing and immunizations policy.   But personal matters of conscience should not be regulated by boards or the government.  You should not be able to tell someone, believe what I believe or I will punish you, that is not the way to deal with disagreement.  You discredit those who are wrong in debate using science not bullying or destroying their livelihood.   

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

Generic ranitidine by several manufacturers was found to have carcinogenic CONTAMINANTS. The drug itself was not carcinogenic. 

[toomuchbaloney]

1 hour ago, Gooday said:

Would I take someone's license because they are cautious or disagree with current research?  Personally, I think its a constitutional violation of free speech. 

That's not the issue.  No one is punished for having an unpopular opinion about research.  How are social consequences for free speech the same as a violation of the right to free speech? Do you believe that your right to free speech means that you can say whatever you want, when and where you want, without any consequences?

A reprimanded professional has not lost their right to spread propaganda, they've just lost credibility and some future career opportunities. Choose wisely. 

1 hour ago, Gooday said:

But personal matters of conscience should not be regulated by boards or the government.  You should not be able to tell someone, believe what I believe or I will punish you, that is not the way to deal with disagreement.  You discredit those who are wrong in debate using science not bullying or destroying their livelihood.   

Spreading dangerous propaganda and disinformation during a pandemic is not a matter of conscience, it's a matter of public health and safety and professional ethics.  The people who are spreading nonsense and confusing people are not victims of bullying, they are a menace and are contributing to illness and disability from a vaccine preventable disease. They are the ones destroying their livelihoods.  

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

This nurse made headlines when she appeared at a MI school board meeting and presented anti-mask rhetoric. She also promoted antivaccine misinformation on her social media. 

Not only did she refuse to get vaccinated, but she refused to take the simple steps available to her to prevent her own infection. This is just insane. Did she refuse to wear a mask into her clients' homes when she cared for them there???? 

SMH...well, not surprisingly, she contracted Covid.

https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/grandrapids/name/dianna-brummel-rathbun-obituary?pid=200262769

[toomuchbaloney]

10 minutes ago, Horseshoe said:

This nurse made headlines when she appeared at a MI school board meeting and presented anti-mask rhetoric. She also promoted antivaccine misinformation on her social media. 

Not only did she refuse to get vaccinated, but she refused to take the simple steps available to her to prevent her own infection. This is just insane. Did she refuse to wear a mask into her clients' homes when she cared for them there???? 

SMH...well, not surprisingly, she contracted Covid.

https://obits.mlive.com/us/obituaries/grandrapids/name/dianna-brummel-rathbun-obituary?pid=200262769

It's unfortunate that she died.  Most people survive infection and as many as third of those survivors accommodate troubling symptoms or disability for months after acute illness.  We should pray that this novel virus doesn't act like Lyme disease and create permanent dysfunction. 

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

This nurse in a labor delivery unit was not an anti-vaxxer, and I'm not aware that she spread any misinformation whatsoever. But she may well have been a victim of it. Even though the vaccine is recommended for pregnant women, she was too afraid to get it. She got Covid and died, and now her husband has also died of it, leaving 5 CHILDREN orphans. When does this stop????

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-covid-couple-dies-daniel-davy-macias/