I am breaking into my usual fiction to tell you about a real travesty taking place in Arizona. Amanda Trujillo RN advised a patient who was up for a liver transplant about other options at the patients request. This is a normal and expected duty of an RN. As a result, the patient and his family decided against the liver transplant. The Surgeon involved went ballistic, threw a well documented temper tantrum, went to the Hospital administration and demanded Nurse Trujillo's termination, which they did. He then went and filed a complaint with the Arizona State Nursing Board who have placed Nurse Trujillo under investigation. The American Nurses Association, who supposedly represent nurses has issued a fatuous, self serving masterpiece of administrative-do-nothing statement that if anything, supports the hospital, the surgeon and the state board. The Arizona State Nurses Association also has done nothing.The leadership of the state board and the state association have been seen schmoozing with other powers that be. Am I surprised? No. Am I outraged? Yes. Over the years I have seen many, many instances of Nurses having to put up with abusive behavior if not outright assault and battery by Physicians. I have yet to see any Physician receive appropriate discipline, and in most instances no discipline. The Nurse victim however, is frequently threatened, suspended, fired, or reported to Nursing Boards if that Nurse seeks redress. The history of the relationships between hospitals, physicians and nurses contributes directly to these situations, as well as where the money is. You can learn more about Amanda Trujillo at any of the nursing related blogs in the list of bogs to the right of these postings. Just click on the listed blog, it will take you there. Or google "Amanda Trujillo".Spread the word!
While you are on my blog, please check out the archived posting for July, 2012 "A Sample - Chapters 1 - 4" of the book The End of Shift Report
While you are on my blog, please check out the archived posting for July, 2012 "A Sample - Chapters 1 - 4" of the book The End of Shift Report
5 comments:
Thank you Orfyn for following Amanda's case, here is the latest.
Red Flags & Questions I See in the Amanda Trujillo, ARNP Case, April 25, 2012 By Beth Boynton:"Amanda Trujillo is an ARNP yet was practicing as an RN. Now maybe there is a perfectly good explanation for this. Third shift is typically tough to staff and given our economy and the financial needs and family commitments, perhaps this was a perfect job opportunity for Amanda. But, honestly, I wonder why she wasn’t practicing as an ARNP rather than an RN? Scope of practice is an important issue in the case and quite different for RNs and ARNPs. Banner health could face serious liability issues if their RNs on duty are practicing out of scope."
http://www.confidentvoices.com/2012/04/25/red-flags-questions-i-see-in-the-amanda-trujillo-arnp-case/
Thank you for covering Amanda's case, here is the latest:
The War Against Amanda Trujillo, April 25, 2012, Mother Jones, RN, Nurse Ratched’s Place:"I still support Amanda Trujillo and some people who have read the allegations against Amanda have questioned my judgment. Frankly, I don’t believe these allegations because I personally know two other nurses who have been reported to their nursing boards by their former employers. One of my friends was reported to the BON after she spoke up about unsafe nursing practices at a shady nursing home, and the other was reported after he chastised hospital administration for placing psychiatric patients and staff in an unsafe environment. Their former employers cooked up all kinds of false allegations against my friends who are both stellar nurses. Their former employers crucified their character, but in the end they were both cleared of any wrongdoing by their respective state nursing boards. There is an escalating pattern of abuse as more unscrupulous employers are using nursing boards as the ultimate scare tactic to keep nurses “in their place. ” Amanda is just another victim of this ploy."
http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/2012/04/the-war-against-amanda-trujillo/
Thank you for following Amanda’s case, this is from TruthAboutNursing.org
Fired for educating a patient? TruthAboutNursing.org, May 2012:”On February 1, the Phoenix CBS affiliate KPHO-TV ran a short but good item by Peter Busch about veteran local nurse Amanda Trujillo, who said she had been fired by Banner Del Webb Hospital and had a complaint filed against her with the state board of nursing because she had educated a patient about the risks of an upcoming surgery and scheduled a consult about hospice. A hospital spokesman reportedly said that “the doctor, ultimately, is the focal point that directs care for patients” and that “company policy” forbids nurses to order a case management consult. The report does not mention other accounts suggesting that these events were set in motion because the patient’s surgeon was displeased that the patient had decided against the surgery.”
http://www.truthaboutnursing.org/news/2012/may/trujillo.html
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