One of the RN's on the floor I work on (I work in an ICU/CCU) and as usual at about 1am (I worked 7-7 last night) we had a patient that coded (v-fib).
Now, this nurse in question here recently transfered from the med-surg floor. She's rather new (only been nursing for about 8 months). She is a younger girl (I'd say... 23-24?). Anyways, 3 nurses (including her and me) initially responded to a code (I quickly paged an RT as this patient was intubated). We followed ACLS protocols and all standing orders on this patient.
I was performing chest compressions, and I noticed that this new nurse was rummaging around the room and not helping at all! I asked her what she was doing and her response was: "I'm trying to find a laryngoscope" (note that she holds NO titles that would require her to use one of e'm). Shocked at her response, I asked "What for?".
At that point, she slammed the cabinet closed that she was working in and sluggishly walked over the patient - and just as the RT walked in the room she RIPPED THE TUBE RIGHT OUT OF HIM!
Of course, we were all shocked and began to yell at her. I suppose all of the other nurses heard the comotion and 3-4 other nurses arrived along with that pt's MD. Then right after this, she began to yell over everyone and try to change the topic saying that "He is not doing compressions right! You do 5 not 30 at a time!"
She was then removed from the room by the other nurses and was sat down and given something to drink.
Fortunately the patient was intubated once again and was put a BVM, pushed epi/atropine, continued CPR and rhythm returned after shock at 200. He's fine as far as I know.
In any case, several nurses and other staff witnessed what she did and we all expect that she may be on either drugs or she was completely intoxicated (either that or her mental status is just completely somewhere else!).
My question is: although me and the witnessing nurses filled out reports on her and turned them in right away, should we all go to the manegment tomorrow directly and discuss this matter as she may continue to harm other patients like this? (as it may take several days for the report to get to the right group of people).
I'm still in a bit of shock as to what she did but... I don't know. I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Specializes in Trauma,ER,CCU/OHU/Nsg Ed/Nsg Research.
Wow- I would be refusing to work with this person. She could be an imposter. We had an imposter on our unit at the place I used to work. It took a whole year for management to finally discover she wasn't licensed as a nurse, after we all continuously complained about her.
Wow! I have read this thread with total disbelieve and as someone else said, truth is stanger than fiction. This nurse is a danger to patients, staff and herself and needs to be removed from the clinical enviroment as soon as possible. There is no ifs,ands or buts about this. There is also no need for the OP to feel bad about reporting this nurse today as the OP could save someones live by doing so. My God, if this nurse does this in front of other people, what is she capable of doing in private with a patient? Scary!
Call the police. If you witnessed ANYBODY (family member, visitor, person off the street ect.) pull out a breathing tube from a patient, esp. if there was a code going on you would have called the police. The patient could have died.
I'm really curious, so I'm going to shamelessly beg that this story be updated as soon as possible. I agree with others that it's one of the craziest nursing stories I've heard.
What a crazy woman. What did she think pulling out the ETT would accomplish?
I completely agree she should be reported to the BON and your NM and risk management. She needs to be pulled off duty and have absolutuely NO patinet contact until she has been fully investigated.
I seriously think she has some mental problems and the only medical condition I can think of that would produce that behavior is a frontal lobe tumor.
Ablolutely refuse to work with this nurse another shift until a investigation is complete to protect you,your license, and all the patients on your unit, and your co workers.
I have a theory. She was going through ACLS protocol in her head and she got to the part where intubation is necessary, so naturally she prepared for intubation, nevermind the fact that he was already intubated. Sounds like she just freaked out and could not function in the code. If for any reason she suspected that the ET tube had been dislodged she should have auscultated and had RT verify dislodgement instead of ripping it out. Sounds like a whack job.
Almost sounds like she wanted to be the hero. Like a serial killer RN that does something to a pt. to 'cause a code and then saves them. Pull out the ET tube and re-intubate pt. so now she's a hero.
Almost sounds like she wanted to be the hero. Like a serial killer RN that does something to a pt. to 'cause a code and then saves them. Pull out the ET tube and re-intubate pt. so now she's a hero.
Specializes in ER/ MEDICAL ICU / CCU/OB-GYN /CORRECTION.
I agree with the poster who said the police should have been called. This action is beyond poor practice or panic it is criminal regardless of the reason.
my gosh :smackingf:smackingf she is dangerous....can it be that she is intoxicated or worse, she is not sure of what she is suppose to do & as a defense mechanism acted that way.
Yeah, she's deffinitely not safe.......If one of her actions in a code is to EXtubate a patient, and not protect the tube at all costs, then something is awry... to say the least...Just curious, does she have any other odd habits?
BBFRN, BSN, PhD
3,779 Posts
Wow- I would be refusing to work with this person. She could be an imposter. We had an imposter on our unit at the place I used to work. It took a whole year for management to finally discover she wasn't licensed as a nurse, after we all continuously complained about her.