To the Moderators, I believe this is appropriate in this forum, but of course I understand if you do not and must remove it based on the forum rules.
Fellow nurses,
Last week, in Bingham County Idaho, Mi Kel J. McBride, RN, was arrested and charged with First Degree Murder in the death of her grandmother, Opal Ward, who was 93. The story can be found at: http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?s=11156810
Mi Kel was caring for her grandmother after her grandmother had been released from a long term care facility "to die at home" (quote from Mrs. Ward's relative). Mrs. Ward was suffering from terminal renal failure, and appeared to be on hospice care.
Based on rumors, which the prosecution has sealed, the county exhumed Mrs. Ward's body (without knowledge of the family), and discovered morphine toxicity. They then charged Mi Kel with murder.
Obviously, all the details of the case has not been presented to the public, so I am basing my information on news articles. Mrs. Ward did have a large estate, but Mi Kel was not a beneficiary.
I worked with Mi Kel as a nursing instructor, and I found her to be an excellent, caring and compassionate nurse. She was well loved by her students, and past patients and fellow nurses also found her to be an excellent nurse. Regardless of the outcome of the case, her nursing career is probably ruined just based on the charges - at least in Idaho.
Now I know that many of you are experienced nurses who know how it used to be, before we learned to give a patient a dignified death without pain. And many of you know that it is so difficult to determine the point at which morphine toxicity can result in terminal patient death. We certainly do not mean to cause the patient harm, but we want the patient to die without pain.
Obviously Mi Kel is shattered, and I would like her to know that as nurses, we care. If you could please respond to at least provide support for a fellow nurse, whether you believe that the county is justified or not, I will make sure she sees this forum.
The University where Mi Kel works basically fired her (administrative leave, with a ban on all activities at the University). So remember, in Idaho, watch yourself or you may also be guilty until proven innocent.
This should raise all sorts of hate and discontent with nurses world-wide.
A jealous neighbor was the accuser in this case. The neighbor has no medical background what-so-ever, but became jealous when Mi Kel bought a new car (one of the low level Mercedes - the ones that cost less than a pickup). Mi-Kel bought it because she wanted reliable transportation to get back and forth to her new job. She did not get any money from her grandmother's estate (the patient in this case).
So, based on a report from a neighbor, the sheriff got a court order to exhume the body (without the family's knowledge), and found toxic levels of morphine in a hospice patient with terminal renal disease, sent home to die with her family. The patient's doctors have already told the prosecutor that this is an expected sequelae of renal failure, excruciating back pain that made the poor woman scream out anytime she moved, and hospice care. Morphine was ordered by the doctors! The patient was on hospice ! The patient was in pain ! This wasn't a secret - the patient's family was always with their grandmother, even when she died ! The family fully supports Mi Kel's actions !
But I guess the prosecutor and the Sheriff (the publicly available Bingham County website is at http://www.co.bingham.id.us/, with a directory of the elected officials' email addresses - just in case you want to send them a note) apparently still believes there is a case and this is a premeditated first degree murder. The prosecutor and Sheriff had Mi Kel pulled out of school at around 0900 in the morning, had her arrested, and then did not let her make a phone call until 2300 that night ! She is on bail now, but has to where an ankle bracelet, cannot leave the county, and cannot set foot on the campus where she teaches due to University rules. Basically, house arrest for doing the right thing !
Nurses, please, don't let us go back into the dark ages ! We know what pain means, and how miserable it is to have to die without the peace that everyone deserves !
If you are in Idaho, or really anywhere nationally or internationally, please think of this case as you talk to your doctors, and your patients on hospice. Is this really the direction we want nursing to go?
What does it say about the county officials who think it is better to allow someone to die in screaming agony than to slip away quietly? If they are ever in this position themselves will they refuse pain medication? I'd be willing to bet real money they wouldn't.
Sending out a prayer for you Mi Kel....what a mess. Cant believe they even have a case. Renal failure + morphine + hospice..What did they expect would happen??
This is one of the most asinine thing I've ever heard of!! She will be in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that these idiots who are hellbent on prosecuting her have to deal with the same situation. Wouldn't they want their loved ones to be comfortable in their last days? Wouldn't they, themselves want to be comfortable in THEIR last days? This is just insanity in politics. Maybe someone is coming up for election and this would be just the ticket they need. Who knows the logic behind all this.
I hope she keeps her head held high and counter sues the bejebus out of them all! God bless her!
lets hope this mess gets cleared up soon. Lets also hope that a professional RN / expert witness is called to testify as to the expected course of renal failure and how hospice is designed and supposed to work. yipes.
Finally some resolution. The prosecuting attorney finally realized that without evidence, it is pretty much impossible to charge someone with murder, especially when they didn't do it in the first place!!!!
This link is very interesting to watch - the defense attorney rightfully slames the prosecuting attorney. One thing of note - after embalming, when the body was exhumed and a post-mortem blood sample was collected from the body cavities, the prosecuting attorney tried to claim that it was just regular blood - despite the incredibly high levels of alcohols from the embalming fluid present !!!
BLACKFOOT - Charges against the woman accused of killing her grandmother have been dropped. The attorney for Mikel McBride, 40, said Thursday the first degree murder charge was dismissed because the prosecution and the defense felt there was a lack of scientific evidence to go to trial.
McBride was arrested in September for the death of Opal Ward. McBride cared for the 93-year-old until her death in April. At first, it was concluded Ward died of natural causes, but after receiving a tip, the Bingham County Sheriff's Office began to investigate.
McBride cared for the 93-year-old, and investigators believed she injected Ward with excessive amounts of morphine. Ward's body was exhumed, an autopsy and toxicology tests were performed after which law enforcement felt they had the necessary evidence to obtain an arrest warrant.
McBride was at her job at Idaho State University in the nursing department when she was pulled out of class and underwent a three hour interrogation.
Jim Sorenson, McBride's attorney, said Thursday the investigation was based on hearsay and noted the prosecution agreed that the evidence would not hold up in court. He added several doctors and experts in and outside of Idaho reached out to him to offer their services or opinions.
The woman's family is very thankful with the court's decision Wednesday and are expected to release a statement early next week. For now, McBride is looking to get her job back at ISU. She has been on leave since her arrest.
kubivern
52 Posts
Just a brief update:
The University where Mi Kel works basically fired her (administrative leave, with a ban on all activities at the University). So remember, in Idaho, watch yourself or you may also be guilty until proven innocent.
vkubiak