Video RN screaming, dragged into police car d/t refused blood draw on unconscious patient!

yourshoesareuntied · Sep 2, 2017

Really looking forward to anonymous' dump on this officer - another forum mentioned this cop had some serious accusations in his history.

I wonder if this is why his peers stood by and let him drive to crazy town..maybe they were like "let this play out (making sure the victim did not get roughed up too much)" and we can be rid of this liability. I've baited a few traps in my day...or as an old boss/friend once suggested, I'll give em' enough rope and they'll hang themselves...he was right that's just what they did.

SororAKS, ADN, RN · Sep 2, 2017

This incident disgusted me. I've never seen police have such disrespect for medical professionals. She advocated for her patient and followed policy, most police officers I've worked with are very respectful and come equipped with a search warrant. I don't know what was up with this officer, but this is unacceptable.

JKL33 · Sep 2, 2017

Looks like more bad than just Guido the sociopath.

These people are disturbed. The blonde guy that comes up to the car may be actually worse. Just listen to how he talks to her.

Take note: THIS is bullying.

TriciaJ, RN · Sep 2, 2017

This incident disgusted me. I've never seen police have such disrespect for medical professionals. She advocated for her patient and followed policy, most police officers I've worked with are very respectful and come equipped with a search warrant. I don't know what was up with this officer, but this is unacceptable.

There are bad apples everywhere. Quite often management sweeps things under the rug while the rank and file wonder what it's going to take. Then the miscreant pushes the envelope in a very public way and the situation finally gets addressed. Let's hope it does in this case.

JKL33 · Sep 2, 2017

I wonder if this is why his peers stood by and let him drive to crazy town..maybe they were like "let this play out (making sure the victim did not get roughed up too much)" and we can be rid of this liability. I've baited a few traps in my day...or as an old boss/friend once suggested, I'll give em' enough rope and they'll hang themselves...he was right that's just what they did.

Based on the additional outrageous talk from the supervisor who shows up and starts bullying her while she's in the car...I sadly don't think ^ this is the case.

This guy Payne didn't really act on his own sole authority as the shorter video would seem. In the longer videos they can be heard discussing the plan and the direction they've been given to arrest her.

Edited Sep 2, 2017 by JKL33

MunoRN, RN · Sep 2, 2017

A longer version of the incident from a different view

[video=youtube_share;hJPVglqR4yM]

What's surprising is that the hospital's policy is just restating the law as it applies to every patient in every hospital in the country, so I'm not sure why there was any confusion about what was required for a police officer to obtain blood from someone. But once she's placed in the car, another officer explains to her that her hospital's policy conflicts with the law, which is untrue as any reasonably competent LEO would tell you.

Wuzzie · Sep 2, 2017

Blood draws and imaging are required to diagnose the reason for the mental status change. Unconscious patients cannot give consent. Any results of the ER work up would be easily available to law enforcement.
Both the cop and the nurse were drama queens.

BTDT although we don't always agree I normally enjoy your contributions. This time, though, finds me trying to wrap my head around your thought process. Perhaps you haven't had time to focus on the details of the incident. The patient who was an innocent victim did not have an unknown etiology for his mental status change. He was sedated and intubated by the medics on the scene after self-extricating from his vehicle while being fully engulfed in flames...the actions of a responsive and cognitively intact person. Furthermore, I think you know that blood drawn for diagnosis/treatment is handled differently from blood drawn for legal purposes. Because he was the victim of a crime there is no probable cause medically or legally to obtain a blood alcohol level. It would not have been ordered in my ED. This POS detective arrived on the unit to draw the blood himself on an innocent victim with no warrant, no arrest and no consent in absolute violation of federal law. Just because his supervisor told him to did not give him legal authority to do so. If he had been allowed to obtain the blood it would have potentially opened the hospital and the involved staff to charges of assault once the victim regained consciousness and became aware of what transpired. I believe the nurse handled herself very well with minimal drama as she tried to explain to the officer why he could not illegally touch the patient. She was far from wimpy. The officer escalated the situation by first taking a swing at her to attempt to knock the phone out of her hand and then grabbing her. I can only imagine how shocked she was by his aggression and I find her reaction to be reasonable under the circumstances. The officer went on to use restraint techniques designed to inflict pain and subdue criminals which she was not. She was clearly scared, confused and in pain yet she remained polite enough to keep referring to him as "sir". His aggressive demeanor continued as he walked her to his vehicle. She clearly was not resisting but he was jerking her arms. Interestingly he put her in the front seat of the car because I think it was beginning to occur to him that he had just stepped in it badly. I am having difficulty understanding your view of her as a "drama queen". I suspect, unless you are used to being arrested, you might be just as likely to respond to this unexpected, aggressive assault exactly like she did.

morte, LPN, LVN · Sep 2, 2017

Aaaaand.. the patient/victim the officer wanted the blood from is a reserve deputy.. His department thanked the nurse for protecting his rights.
The Latest: Officer who arrested Utah nurse put on leave - The Washington Post

Oh! The irony, I can't stop laughing...

t3mama · Sep 2, 2017

This whole story is absolutely baffling to me. I work at this hospital but actually work in the city where the accident the victim was involved in occurred (which is an hour away), and had to drive around the accident on my way to work. There is video of this accident on the news websites here too, but unless you are in Utah you wouldn't have heard of it. This patient on the burn unit that this nurse was taking care of was definitely an innocent victim, so I have no clue why this insane detective acted the way he did. Many, many coworkers are just outraged over this incident and admire this nurses dedication to her patient.

-news story of the crash:

Dash cam video shows crash, explosion that killed fleeing driver in Cache County | Gephardt Daily

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 2, 2017

Actually what she did was exactly right and your probably a terrible nurse and it's a shame you have a license. I really don't give a **** about how long been a nurse since you've been a terrible one for that duration. First you don't realize that what she did was absolutely right, you are misinformating other nurses, and I can prove that academically and legally. Second you are terrible for calling any victim especially a fellow nurse and possible member of this forum a drama queen. I wouldn't let you touch my family members with that attitude. Maybe your burnt out and need a cubicle job or something and yes you could find one if you tried.

I agree with you that Wubbles was exactly right -- calm, professional and clearly stating the policy that prevented her from acquiescing to the officer's demand.

You are absolutely wrong in labeling Been there, done that a terrible nurse -- you know nothing at all about BTDT and the quality of her work. You have no basis to bash her nursing care.

You may disagree with BTDT, but she's a long term member of the forum and is often pretty spot on in her posts. As far as "burnt out and need a cubicle job or something" -- that's rude and unnecessary. Weren't you the one bashing on other nurses for their "lack of empathy and compassion" and shaming them for even being nurses. Isn't that a trifle hypocritical?

I'm sure most of us would be thrilled to be banned from caring for you or your family -- you're pretty combative on the forum. I can only imagine what you'd be like in real life.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 2, 2017

I don't care what the cops want. I want the lab results to treat my patient.
If you were unconscious I would want to know WHY. A tox screen is required. Cops can get those results, with a court order. End of issue.

We don't know what labs had been done to treat the patient. A tox screen may already have been sent. What Wubbles was objecting to was the police drawing their own sample to be used as evidence. The policy clearly stated that that could be done only if the patient consented, there was a warrant, or the patient was under arrest. The patient was unable to consent, there was no warrant and the patient was not under arrest.