the first few paragraphs, click link for rest of story (too long to cut/paste)
In the emergency room at Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital, Edith Isabel Rodriguez was seen as a complainer.
"Thanks a lot, officers," an emergency room nurse told Los Angeles County police who brought in Rodriguez early May 9 after finding her in front of the Willowbrook hospital yelling for help. "This is her third time here."
The 43-year-old mother of three had been released from the emergency room hours earlier, her third visit in three days for abdominal pain. She'd been given prescription medication and a doctor's appointment.
Turning to Rodriguez, the nurse said, "You have already been seen, and there is nothing we can do," according to a report by the county office of public safety, which provides security at the hospital.
Parked in the emergency room lobby in a wheelchair after police left, she fell to the floor. She lay on the linoleum, writhing in pain, for 45 minutes, as staffers worked at their desks and numerous patients looked on.
Aside from one patient who briefly checked on her condition, no one helped her. A janitor cleaned the floor around her as if she were a piece of furniture. A closed-circuit camera captured everyone's apparent indifference.
Arriving to find Rodriguez on the floor, her boyfriend unsuccessfully tried to enlist help from the medical staff and county police — even a 911 dispatcher, who balked at sending rescuers to a hospital.
Alerted to the "disturbance" in the lobby, police stepped in — by running Rodriguez's record. They found an outstanding warrant and prepared to take her to jail. She died before she could be put into a squad car.
interesting. says she was in for abd pain 3x in 3 days,but never what they did for her test wise, or what they suspected her diagnosis was, etc.
Not to sound harsh here, but the woman *was* seen and d/c'd. I know there was a doc involved in her care. Why is there no mention of the dropping the ball on the *docs* dx? I mean, seeing she was allready there and "treated", I would let her wait too. I think I really would....and it scares me. Why is is always the NURSES!!!!! Obviously she perfed something, a DOCTOR is excused to MISS that, and let her walk out????
In this case, it appears to have been the triage nurse, Ms. Linda Ruttlen, who let the patient lie on the floor, fall out of a wheelchair a couple of times, let the police actually come to arrest he in lieu of getting her examined again, let a janitor clean the floor around her - who, in short, let her die an agonizing and probably unnecessary death.
What I don't get is why the ER staff never, apparently, called a supervisor. And why didn't the ER doc get someone else to see this patient? I'd say the doc is definitely culpable, too, for, I'm guessing, not getting a surgical consult, not calling another doc of some sort to see her, not doing better imaging, and what about her lab work? It's just such a colossal screw-up. I know it happens more than we'd like to think but this one is public now and the cast of characters will likely pay a high price for their errors.
About the Triage nurse: all she had to do was get her registered and seen again. And she should have called her manager or House Supervisor. Then the onus would have been off of her. Who cares if she was seen 3 times or 33 times? She had a right and a definite need to be seen. So don't allow your frustration or impression of the patient being a "turkey" to keep you from getting the patient seen a million times if the doc screwed up the first 999,999 times. Help the doctor get the DX right.
The death of Ms. Rodriguez in Los Angeles is truly terrifying and should never have happened.
I can't help but wonder, though, what the over all condition was in the ER at the time this terrible tragedy took place. How busy was it, with what patient conditions, how many staff, equipment availability, etc.?
I also can't help but wonder what the finances are like at King-Drew-Harbor Medical Center, that is, how many millions and billions the citizens pay to support this hospital. The article says this patient was a California native and I must say I am glad she was not illegally in the country because I really would have a problem with that. I was always very liberal in my view of illegal immigrants, figuring they wouldn't need to come here if their own governments cared about them at all and I figured we all just need to help our fellow man. Reading a book called "Mexifornia" changed that. I am no longer as generous-hearted toward illegals. I still feel for their hard lives but there are lots of legal Americans with hard lives, too. I don't like to feel this way but that is the new truth for me. (I should just quit reading anything.)
I still believe the triage nurse should have done everything in her power to help this person, legal, illegal, whatever. That is not something that should have been taken into consideration at that moment but the issue does need to be addressed and laws need to be passed that will relieve taxpayers of the burden of paying for medical care (and lots of other care) for illegals, IMO. Sorry if it sounds harsh.
I was just told that my grandson can't attend a summer school class in his school district because he goes to a private Parochial school normally. I'll tell you - it burns me up and I will be raising Cain about it, suing if I have to. His parents and I pay a lot of taxes to support a school district that he doesn't even use and now he can't take a measly summer class? I buy the fundraiser candies, etc. that the school district sells 2 and 3 times per year, I have donated some things to the schools because I am an alumni there, I pay tons of money for the district to run school buses that are never even half filled. I am ticked off! :angryfire :angryfire
Anyway, just my view. Sorry if I am stepping on any toes but we are adults and we can calmly discuss controversial topics. Can't we?
I think it is very wrong that your child cannot attend summer school because of going to private school during the regular session.
I am glad you are doing something about it. How about all the parents getting together and going to a school board meeting. Notify the press.
Write a letter to the editor.
After all you pay taxes to support the schools because we all benefit from educated citizens. All children in the district should be allowed to attend classes.
Well, I haven't read the book you mention but I agree with you about the illegal immigrant issue. I know lots of poor Americans right here without looking to Mexico.
I think where there is poverty, there are issues. We don't have the illegal issues in Ohio, but I live near a city that had one of the highest per capita homicide rates in the country. It is too easy to blame the illegals. Last century it was the Italians and the Irish Catholics. I think what we need in this country is WORKABLE and SENSIBLE immagration laws. Jail sentences that aren't country clubs and real rehabilitation for drug addicts. OH, and how about reopening the state owned mental health facilities, rather than putting our mentally ill in jail:angryfire
I think it is very wrong that your child cannot attend summer school because of going to private school during the regular session.
I am glad you are doing something about it. How about all the parents getting together and going to a school board meeting. Notify the press.
Write a letter to the editor.
After all you pay taxes to support the schools because we all benefit from educated citizens. All children in the district should be allowed to attend classes.
I'll play devil's advocate here. Not very on topic but; If your state is like most about 20% of the budget comes from local property taxes and the other 80% or so is from the state (your tax money also). However, the school only gets the money if the child attends school. So if your child does not go to school then the school gets little or no money for him or her. Therefor it would make sense that summer school is only for those who attend the school during the year and for whom the school receives money.
I also can't help but wonder what the finances are like at King-Drew-Harbor Medical Center...
Trudy, multicollinarity posted some links on that thread about King/drew hospital. If you think what happened to the lady on floor was bad, you should read those links.
That hospital is in terrible disrepair. But the head Surgeonr has made more than $1 million in 2 years, and has only done 15 surgeries in those 2 years. Also, they pay something like 30million dollars is workman's comp. Oh, and that hospital receives more money than almost any other in Cali.
I am twenty two years old and a proud immigrant. I came from Cuba in 1995, leaving EVERYONE but my mother behind. It's been twelve years and i still have not seen my father. My mother is a Spanish and Russian teacher, my stepfather is a Medical Doctor specialized in Family Medicine (he works as an RN is the US), my father is a journalist and writer who recently published a book on Cuban politics and culture entiled Cuba el Delirio y la Historia (Cuba: Delirium and History); he also speaks three languages.
I write all this so that is is crystal clear: IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT ALL CRIMINALS. MOST IMMIGRANTS COME TO THIS COUNTRY TO CONTRIBUTE. MOST IMMIGRANTS LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HURT ITS PEOPLE.
The following is from my previous university Florida International University in Miami. www.fiu.edu
FIU Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy releases new report on immigrants in Florida
MIAMI, FL (May 21, 2007) – The FIU Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy (RISEP) is releasing a new report using 2005 census data that shows changes in the immigrant population and workforce over the past five years in Florida.
Compared to those native to the U.S., recent immigrants to Florida:
Are just as likely to have advanced degrees and nearly as likely to have Bachelor’s degrees,
Are more likely to be entrepreneurs, and
Contribute equally or more to the economy as measured by taxes paid and assistance received.
“This report shows that immigrants are not the burden to our economy that some people claim. They pay taxes in comparable amounts to non-immigrants and receive less in cash benefits and public assistance than non-immigrants. They are also contributing through entrepreneurship, and have provided needed labor for important Florida industries, in particular for the construction boom of the last several years,” states Emily Eisenhauer, one of the authors of the report.
The release of the report and community meeting on recent immigration reform developments will be on Monday, May 21, at 1:00pm at the Jacques Desalines Center on 8325 Northeast 2nd Avenue.
Florida is one of the nation’s six immigrant gateway states. Immigrants in Florida: Characteristics and Contributions reports that immigrants have grown from 19% of the Florida labor force in 2000 to 23% in 2005.
In short, immigrants contribute more to the Florida economy than they cost. At the same time, they receive less for their education and work than do the native-born.It takes immigrants 20 years on average to economically catch up with the native-born.
Emily Eisenhauer, RISEP research associate and report co-author, and Alex Stepick, specialist in migration and professor of sociology and anthropology, as well as community members and Florida Immigrant Coalition members will be available for comment. Copies of the report will be available at the press conference and on the RISEP website afterward (http://www.risep-fiu.org).
For questions or interviews:
Dr. Alex Stepick, specialist in migration, professor of sociology and anthropology (305) 348-1519
GRANTED THERE ARE IMMIGRANT ISSUES, IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT IMPPACT THE COMMUNITY THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
IN MY OPINION: IF THE IMMIGRANT IS A CRIMINAL, THEN SEND THEM BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM. WE START OUT AS GUESTS IN THIS COUNTRY AND MUST BEHAVE AS SUCH, UNTIL WE RESIGN OURSELVES TO LIVE IN EXILE BECAUSE GOING BACK IS NO LONGER A POSSIBLITY.
The study does not mention whether immigrants are illegal or not, but i would not be surprised if a great percentage of them is illegal.
I am twenty two years old and a proud immigrant. I came from Cuba in 1995, leaving EVERYONE but my mother behind. It's been twelve years and i still have not seen my father. My mother is a Spanish and Russian teacher, my stepfather is a Medical Doctor specialized in Family Medicine (he works as an RN is the US), my father is a journalist and writer who recently published a book on Cuban politics and culture entiled Cuba el Delirio y la Historia (Cuba: Delirium and History); he also speaks three languages.
I write all this so that is is crystal clear: IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT ALL CRIMINALS. MOST IMMIGRANTS COME TO THIS COUNTRY TO CONTRIBUTE. MOST IMMIGRANTS LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HURT ITS PEOPLE.
Hi NovaNursingStudent,
There are two different issues here (well there are far more than two, but I'm going to talk about two).
I grew up in NY, most of my friends growing up were first generation in the country, aka the children of immigrants. The difference between that and what is being spoken about now is whether folks are here as legal or illegal immigrants. I know to many folks who have and/or are currently working through the system to immigrate legally. I don't think anyone, in any conversation I've heard, has any issue with this....it's how our country has been built.
The problem is when folks come into the country without following the law. Coming into the country illegally is breaking the law (by definition) and one definition of a "criminal" is a person guilty or convicted of a crime. Now obviously, I'm not speaking directly about you or your family....I don't know you, and don't know anything about you....I'm sure you're a fine a dandy person (you belong to AllNurses after all ).
In my opinion.....no matter how esteemed the credentials, no matter how fine the character, breaking the law to immigrate into a country is still breaking the law. As with any other incidence of breaking the law this is an act that should not be rewarded.
Now, I also agree that current immigration law is lousy. We need real reform, and I don't think the latest offering on the table is much of a step in the right direction. I don't agree that the way to change these laws is for folks currently breaking them to picket in the streets!
I do think that finding a way to allow folks who want to work in this country (such as agricultural workers from Mexico) but not live here to do so legally. This will not only give the govt an idea of who's here.....but will afford some protection to the workers. Once they're here legally, worker conditions and safety can be enforced. It will give workers recourse if an employer tries to take advantage of them.
OK, now back to our regularly scheduled thread topic.........I haven't heard about the unfortunate death of this women....I'll google it and see what I turn up.
I write all this so that is is crystal clear: IMMIGRANTS ARE NOT ALL CRIMINALS. MOST IMMIGRANTS COME TO THIS COUNTRY TO CONTRIBUTE. MOST IMMIGRANTS LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HURT ITS PEOPLE.
What's crystal clear is that those who enter this country illegally are committing a crime.
Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.
okay, i think i am going to give up, because no one seems to be getting my point. but here is one more try.
newspaper accounts are not always accurate.
this should be obvious to anyone who has read both stories, since they contradict each other.
the point i am trying to make is that we should not be condeming this nurse based off of the reports in the paper.
she can't tell her side of the story, so the only side we are getting is the family's point of veiw. it is biased, at best. when we are under stress, (and that situation was most certainly stressful to her loved ones), we don't remember things accuratly. that doesn't mean that they are intentionally misleading us, but you can't have complete faith in their recall of events.
everyone is assuming that the nurse ignored the patient. and, i agree: according to the reports in the paper, she did. if those reports are accurate (either one of them) then she was wrong.
isn't anyone else open to the possibility that there is more to the story than what was printed???
it is possible that she just hadn't gotten back to the patient yet. (and again, i still say that i am going to triage those i haven't seen at all first, before i jump to re-triage someone that was just discharged)
and i still don't see where the triage nurse told her to "go home." the security report quoted her as saying "there is nothing more we can do." that isn't the same as telling the patient to go home. will emtala see a difference? i don't know. maybe, maybe not.
Long after I die, immigration problems will still be part of our society. I better leave the debate to the politicians who use these issues as their tool for election speeches.
:angryfire 
). 
TrudyRN
1,343 Posts
In this case, it appears to have been the triage nurse, Ms. Linda Ruttlen, who let the patient lie on the floor, fall out of a wheelchair a couple of times, let the police actually come to arrest he in lieu of getting her examined again, let a janitor clean the floor around her - who, in short, let her die an agonizing and probably unnecessary death.
What I don't get is why the ER staff never, apparently, called a supervisor. And why didn't the ER doc get someone else to see this patient? I'd say the doc is definitely culpable, too, for, I'm guessing, not getting a surgical consult, not calling another doc of some sort to see her, not doing better imaging, and what about her lab work? It's just such a colossal screw-up. I know it happens more than we'd like to think but this one is public now and the cast of characters will likely pay a high price for their errors.
About the Triage nurse: all she had to do was get her registered and seen again. And she should have called her manager or House Supervisor. Then the onus would have been off of her. Who cares if she was seen 3 times or 33 times? She had a right and a definite need to be seen. So don't allow your frustration or impression of the patient being a "turkey" to keep you from getting the patient seen a million times if the doc screwed up the first 999,999 times. Help the doctor get the DX right.