Nurses as patient advocates

[ans]

It takes a nurse with guts to stand up to a bully doctor. This case is extraordinary and could have consequences for many of us in the long-run.

Texas Nurse to Stand Trial for Reporting Doctor - NYTimes.com

[dshobbies]

I'm horrified that this can happen. I dare say this doctor would probably be hung up to dry in a larger city but small town politics has taken a front seat.

My first thought is she can't possibly be found guilty but should that happen, after whatever appeals, she would be vidicated but nontheless, her career is over - a caring person who thinks more for her patients and people than her own well being is about to be punished for the rest of her life regardless of the legalities.

Too bad!

[sahuaro]

There are some very odd aspects to this story which make me believe that the truth is somewhere in the middle. In Arizona, it is the duty of any member of the public to report an incompetent doctor, but I'm not sure if that's the case in Texas (not that the Medical Board here will necessarily investigate, as I found out when I tried to report the IME doctor who "examined" me). The article does not report whether the Medical Board did investigate and what their findings were. The fact that she filed the complaint anonymously does raise questions about her motives.

At any rate, I hope this case is an anomaly and I agree that local small-town politics and connections are being played out in a very ugly fashion.

[Maria]

Personally I've always gone thru the chain of command when reporting an incident of any kind involving healthcare personnel at any level/any position. I think I'e only made one report of a physician to the Board of Medicine in all my years of practice. He was eventually let go from the Managed Healthcare company we worked at altho he had a number of reports made with regard to his behavior towards patients and patients reporting his behavior to the CEO of the company.

I've definately seen all kinds of things in the years I worked in healthcare and some of it not so kosher however anyone I know that I worked with used the chain of command in terms of reporting incidents and sometimes people lost their jobs but I've never seen anyone sent to prison for reporting an incident properly. I have heard doctors say they would sue for defamation of character however it's the hospital that has the deepest pockets so that's about as far as I've seen it taken..

Very interesting article indeed. The physician in question seems to have enough on his record already that would make a report such as this nurses seem like nothing more than another report that the physician is practicing medicine that is not within the standards of practice in the community. I wonder if others have seen much of this behavior and chose not to report it or just ignore it altogether. The physician in question seems to have pretty slick legal counsel...

[mmglobal]

I agree that the truth may be somewhere in the middle, but the thing that I find difficult to get past is the likelyhood of overzealous prosecution because the sheriff is so personally indebted to the doctor. If the doctor is constantly skirting the edges and being reprimanded, I would tend to believe the nurse's good faith. If they things they were reporting were truly over the top, then their prosecution is an outrage.

(For full disclosure, I can't say anything bad about nurses... they rock! I love them so much, I married one!)

Mark

[Maria]

thanks Mark! Some people put nurses down because they think we are inferior in mental capacity however it's usually the love for what we do that propels us in this career and basically the desire be an advocate for the people that we take care of or assist in some manner.


Even tho I hurt my back working in this career I still am very glad I chose to go into nursing. I walk into hospitals and immediately feel the connection as tho it's where I belong ~ or a clinic, an emergency room or urgent care center or doctor's office.

The opportunity to be an advocate for friends, family and even neighbors is like a gift I was given and I'm very thankful that if I can't do anything else the education and work experience I have at least I can still function in this capacity when necessary.

I read a very good article in an Arthritis magazine today in my doctors office re levels of advocacy and while there is much more that could be discussed both you and I know the real motivating factor in advocacy is wanting to help the person (patient) to get the best care possible for the best possible outcome.

Nurses do rock~ and so do you. Thanks for all your help too