Refusing to do CPR

[nursegoodguy]

LTC facility.

Worked with a nurse who refused to do cpr...what do you think?

[ktwlpn, LPN]

Originally posted by BrianWhitfield

Thanks Jenny. The Alabama Board of nursing has the case "under review". However, since they have been reviewing it for 8 months, I tend to suspect that they will try to sweep it under the carpet and cover it up. My issue with the nursing home itself is that they had received notifications concerning abusive and erratic behavior by the RN and failed to act upon it. She had assaulted an elderly man the week before and the only action the administrator took was to reassign her to another hallway because the man was so terrified of her. One thing I don't understand is, if a common everyday person had walked in off the street and assaulted an elderly man and then done this to my mother, they would have locked them up right away. It's almost like the authorities consider her having a RN license sometype of expemption from the law.

Like I had stated earlier, the state attorney general's office is planning to present the case to a grand jury eventually. But it's been 8 months....the bureaucracy is frustrating....

Please don't assume that all long term care facilities and nursing staff are like this---in every facility I have worked in any time an employee is suspected of abuse an investigation begins IMMEDIATLY-statements are taken and the staff member is terminated if credible evidence of abuse is found......I have only once seen the police called(sexual abuse of a comatose young women) In the other cases the staff members did go on to find jobs elsewhere-but thanks to our local grapevine they are not working in healthcare.....Cases of negligence are in the news frequently-the wheels of justice turn slowly but they do turn....Nothing will bring your mother back and the only thing that can begin to compensate for the suffering she must have gone through those hours is to insure that no one else is at the mercy of this nurse again and that the nursing home does not allow this kind of thing to happen again.

[BrianWhitfield]

Thanks ktwlpn. I know that there are many, many, many wonderful LTC facilities out there. Also, I know that nurses are exposed to incredibly stressful situations. It's interesting about your comment on thw wheels of justice. The state DA sent me a note last week citing the exact same quote. "Don't give up, the wheels of justice turn slowly, but they do and will turn...."

thanks again...Brian