While at the 2017 ENA Convention in St. Louis, allnurses got the opportunity to interview Alex Wubbels, the Utah nurse who in July 2017, was violently secured in handcuffs and placed in a squad car for not complying with a police officer's request to draw blood on an unconscious patient without a warrant or consent. The video of the incident went viral.
Alex has received support not only from her place of employment but also from an outraged nursing community. "The University of Utah Health supports Nurse Wubbels and her decision to focus first and foremost on the care and well-being of her patient," said Suzanne Winchester, the hospital's media relations manager. "She followed procedures and protocols in this matter and was acting in her patient's best interest. We have worked with our law enforcement partners on this issue to ensure an appropriate process for moving forward."
We talked with Alex at the 2017 ENA Conference about how she is coping with this traumatic event.
Alex Wubbels also shared with us that there has been an update in the investigation. The Salt Lake City Mayor announced that "The findings of the IA investigation and the Civilian Review Board will be sent to Chief Mike Brown who will use them to help guide his decision as it relates to the employment status of the two officers involved."
The officers were found to have violated department policy. The following video gives additional details.
I'm saddened that she had to go through what she did, but grateful as well. If things like this can happen to a highly-respected nurse, we have a real problem with law enforcement. That's not a "dig" on law enforcement, just an observation that they can and should be doing a better job of policing their own. Nurses probably take the policing their own too far, law enforcement doesn't take it far enough. If you get past the emotions, it's an opportunity to correct a wrong & fix things in a way that benefits everyone.
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.
I STAND VERY PROUD of ALEX WUBBELS !
Unquestionably, like everyone else after viewing the video of this incident, in my opinion nurse Alex Wubbels behaved accordingly by obeying the rules and regulations of her facility. Having said that, no one and I mean no one has the right to aggressively handcuffed you or shove you out of your facility because you're not abiding by their orders in your workplace; and that includes the police. At this level, I have zero tolerance for any abuse directed towards my staff, neither verbally or fiscally it's NOT tolerated. Furthermore, what the police should have done in this case was to ask for the supervisor and this could have been avoided as she/him could have indicated that nurse Wubbels was abiding by the rules of their facility. This goes without saying, I do hope this sends a message to anyone out there that thinks that is alright to abuse nurses. Therefore, she should press charges in order to get the message out that we nurse's deserve respect across the states.
It's not alright to abuse anybody, whatever their status. I'm required to render the best possible care to my patients regardless of what I might otherwise think of them, their behavior or their beliefs. It's the same for law enforcement. It's why we have laws or policies or ethical standards in the first place. They are simply agreements we operate under on a daily basis that try to mitigate the harm we would normally cause each other if we just did whatever we felt like doing.
I can't just decide to do whatever I want on the floor and as a cop I was held to similar standards. Nurses and cops both have positions of civil responsibility.
Civil norms and utilizing agreed upon procedures for settling differences are what differentiate mobs from civil societies. I only wish law makers were held as stringently to standards of ethics and civil behavior as nurses are.
I don't know where you work or what you do but I haven't heard anything even remotely like what you've said. Zero, zip.
Frankly, i can only hope I would have the courage to stand up for my patients rights as she did. One strong woman representing our profession!
need to get around more, not just stay here at allnurses. lots of persons were complaining that she should have done what the cop wanted and the court would have sorted it out later.... some I think were using the line to point out the problem when we tell persons of color the same line of BS. But some were serious, and especially when they started in on the CDL issue. Spread your reading wings.
Specializes in Anesthesia, Trauma, Palliative, Tele.
Thank you for being a nurse. Thank you for showing the world that we take our jobs seriously and that we truly do care for our patients. I'm sorry for what you went through but thank you for doing the right thing. Thank you Alex!
Thank you for interviewing her, she is a brave nurse, woman, and patient advocate. I admire her for her bravery and this has brought to light how nurses can be bullied. It has also brought to light procedural protocol that must be followed no matter the circumstance.
Unquestionably, like everyone else after viewing the video of this incident, in my opinion nurse Alex Wubbels behaved accordingly by obeying the rules and regulations of her facility. Having said that, no one and I mean no one has the right to aggressively handcuffed you or shove you out of your facility because you're not abiding by their orders in your workplace; and that includes the police. At this level, I have zero tolerance for any abuse directed towards my staff, neither verbally or fiscally it's NOT tolerated. Furthermore, what the police should have done in this case was to ask for the supervisor and this could have been avoided as she/him could have indicated that nurse Wubbels was abiding by the rules of their facility. This goes without saying, I do hope this sends a message to anyone out there that thinks that is alright to abuse nurses. Therefore, she should press charges in order to get the message out that we nurse's deserve respect across the states.
Amen. And I hope she sues him, the police department, and anyone else she can sue. Pain, terror, humiliation, wrongful arrest and detention, torture (forced to sit in car with no a/c or open windows on hot day), bullying, etc. Suing is the American way.
Specializes in ICU/ER/Med-Surg/Case Management/Manageme.
need to get around more, not just stay here at allnurses. lots of persons were complaining that she should have done what the cop wanted and the court would have sorted it out later.... some I think were using the line to point out the problem when we tell persons of color the same line of BS. But some were serious, and especially when they started in on the CDL issue. Spread your reading wings.
Guess "lots of people" might depend on your perspective. "Lots" as in 2 or 3? Or 5? I'm in a great big metroplex and get out "lots" and have yet to hear the negativity. Only positive comments.
herring_RN, ASN, BSN
3,651 Posts
https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/video-rn-screaming-1116872-page18.html#post9555932
I hope and do believe most of us would advocate for our patient as Nurse Wubbels did.