"The Death Shift" (true crime book about nurse/serial killer)

[rph3664]

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Shift-Story-Genene-Murders/dp/0451401964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275935047&sr=1-1

This is by far the better of the two books about this horrendous case; I first read it about 20 years ago, and now that I have a pharmacy degree under my belt, makes this story all the more terrifying.

I used to work at one of the hospitals where Michael Swango did his thing (although he is not believed to have killed anyone here) and the way their records were BOTH covered up amazes me. And this particular story happened 30 years ago.

Has anyone else read this, or knew anyone involved?

[rph3664]

Yes, this case was featured on Forenisc Files. And I believe the nurse in question was a LPN.

From the Forensic Files case, she was causing the babies to go into cardiac arrest, then will try to save them. I forgot what drug she was using to do this. I do remember the commentator (sp?) stated that the nurse was told the hospital she worked at could not open a PICU and she was quoted as saying "there are sick babies out there, you just have to go out and find them", or something along those lines.

The doctor did eventually rebuild her practice but she nearly lost everything in the process.

The drug she used was succinylcholine. One can only imagine the horror those babies experienced.

When she worked at the hospital, she also used heparin and digoxin in part because they take longer to take effect, and she could watch the child crash before her eyes.

[sunkissed75, CNA]

I remember the Sick Kid's murders too. There is also a book about that - its very good. I think they went after the wrong nurse. As someone pointed out Susan Nelles wasn't even on duty for all of the deaths. The book doesn't come out and accuse anyone, but you can draw some pretty strong conclusions. I think that book was also called "Death Shift" - but I can' remember the author.

The book about the Sick Kids murders is called "Death Shift: The Digoxin Murders at Sick Kids" by Ted Bessland.

[flashpoint]

I did a report on Genene Jones when I was in nursing school. We had to do a report on a famous nurse and explain her impact on nursing. Everyone else did people like Florence Nightingale and Margaret Sanger. I got an A, but they made me talk to a counselor too...

[rph3664]

I did a report on Genene Jones when I was in nursing school. We had to do a report on a famous nurse and explain her impact on nursing. Everyone else did people like Florence Nightingale and Margaret Sanger. I got an A, but they made me talk to a counselor too...

Interesting. But health care workers need to know about people like this so they can be on the lookout for them.

For my profession, Robert Courtney would be an excellent example of something like this. He was a home infusion pharmacist who "mixed" chemo drugs, fertility drugs, etc. with little or no active ingredient and was caught because there were discrepancies between the amounts of drugs he was ordering and the amounts he was billing insurance companies, Medicare in particular. He will never leave prison alive.

There was a more recent book about a nurse who was married with several young children, and was having an affair with a security guard who as part of his job showed up for codes at the VA hospital where they both worked. She would make patients code when they worked the same shift so she could see him, and is believed to have killed as many as 40 people.

[shoegalRN, RN]

Interesting. But health care workers need to know about people like this so they can be on the lookout for them.

For my profession, Robert Courtney would be an excellent example of something like this. He was a home infusion pharmacist who "mixed" chemo drugs, fertility drugs, etc. with little or no active ingredient and was caught because there were discrepancies between the amounts of drugs he was ordering and the amounts he was billing insurance companies, Medicare in particular. He will never leave prison alive.

There was a more recent book about a nurse who was married with several young children, and was having an affair with a security guard who as part of his job showed up for codes at the VA hospital where they both worked. She would make patients code when they worked the same shift so she could see him, and is believed to have killed as many as 40 people.

Oh, that case about the nurse was on the New Detectives on Discovery Investigation.

Yeah, know all about Robert Courtney. I know a couple of families personally that was affected by what he did.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

did a report on Genene Jones when I was in nursing school. We had to do a report on a famous nurse and explain her impact on nursing. Everyone else did people like Florence Nightingale and Margaret Sanger. I got an A, but they made me talk to a counselor too...

You almost made me spit my wine out onto my monitor! That is too funny! I think I have a crush on you now.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

The book about the Sick Kids murders is called "Death Shift: The Digoxin Murders at Sick Kids" by Ted Bessland.

Thank you. I must head over to my fav used book site and look for it. I have both books about Genene Jones. I find this type of behaviour so facinating.

[sunkissed75, CNA]

there are some sick people out there! someone posted about needing police checks and all that fun stuff... the only thing with that is, unless a person has been caught, charged and convicted, nothing is going to show up on the police check anyway. if a person has been caught, charged and convicted they won't be applying for the job anyway (unless they go to the extremes of getting a new identity - which i'm sure happens!) because they know it will show up on the police check. when i see things like this, whether it's on the news or what have you, i can't help but wonder if it gives other disturbed people ideas. especially the part about causing codes so the nurse could see her boyfriend...seriously, that is just plain crazy!!!!!

[flashpoint]

You almost made me spit my wine out onto my monitor! That is too funny! I think I have a crush on you now.

I thought it was a stupid project...especially when we needed to be concentrating on finals, boards, graduation, etc. The hospital I trained at changed some policies based on cases like hers, so I thought it was appropriate.

[Moogie]

Yes, I seen it! Wasnt her husband a nurse who did this? There was also a case where a nurse killed his co-worker with a deadly dose of propofol he stolen from work.

I love this show! One reason why I'm becoming a SANE and getting certified in Forensic Nursing!

Yes, it was the husband! He and the woman had started up their relationship when her husband was in the ICU in which the nurse worked, dying from a CVA. They married three weeks after the husband died. Three years after their marriage, the nurse was "sick" of his wife, having affairs with his co-workers, and then killed the wife with succinylcholine.

Awesome that you're becoming a SANE and getting your forensic nursing certification! Good for you!

[Moogie]

I thought it was a stupid project...especially when we needed to be concentrating on finals, boards, graduation, etc. The hospital I trained at changed some policies based on cases like hers, so I thought it was appropriate.

Sounds like a good assignment but really poor planning and timing.

Well, now, maybe you were just feeling a bit murderous yourself considering that you had so many other things going on at the time...

[flashpoint]

LOL. Maybe that is it...I had much more important things to think about than Clara Barton or Mary Mahoney. I appreciate knowing about leaders in nursing, but not when I am trying to study for finals! :)