Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge HIV Needle Stick II , the Sad Sequel

Well , a month ago I posted about my RN wife getting the Hep C / HIV needle stick at work . She got VERY sick from the antiviral drugs but she continued to go to work EVERY DAY at 4:30 AM and do HER work and half of the newbie nurse's work . Anyway , she sent the HIV patient a get well card , as she often does , (she's one of the RARE kinda nurses) , and proceeded to go on a 3 week medical mission to Ethiopia . Well , she got back Sunday , exhausted from the trip , the drugs , and the Lupus , and was called into an INQUISITION today and summarily FIRED . Seriously .

She has 30+ years at that hospital with exemplary service and the a$$es FIRED her for sending a patient a get well card .

Seems that the patient's family objected to the "religious" nuances in the card and filed a full-blown HIPA violation complaint . Their contention is that she was not supposed to have access to his personal address OFF the job , since she wrote the card from home .

It's gonna be he!! to pay , I'm beside myself . I'm done .

Man that sucks. I hope at least the they are going to be held accountable for all the testing and what not that she is going to have to go through from the stick. Sorry to hear of the job loss but maybe God is ready for her to move to another place to serve him better. Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys.

holyshit man, thats ridiculous. makes you want to go in there and start choking people out, doesn't it? that was a horrible situation to start with, and that's how they treat her for it? sounds like a call to a lawyer is in order.

Thats unfkcnuiug believeable,yes I'd say a laywer is a good start.

Yup , stupida$$ handful of administrators or whatever have crushed the spirit of one of the best nusses* that facility ever had . She was a sacrifice , a scapegoat . We go to clean out her locker tomorrow .

I'm gonna need restraints when I see those a$$es tomorrow .

Really , a GET WELL CARD ! FIRED ! Danggitt man , what tha he!! ?????

* sometimes we here in the South call them "nusses" , ya know , like " Nuss , Nuss , come quick , I feels myself aslippin' away . "


I still ain't lost my sense of humor , but I sho' is mad .

What ever happened to "It's the thought that counts"? More and more, I'm glad that I'm getting up in years and might not have to put up with this BS much longer. Anyone remember the old days when people were kind, lawyers took care of wills and contracts and medicine was good for you?

Geeze! What would have happened of she sent him a "I hope you die soon scum ball" card. Or maybe she should have. You would think that any kind of well wishes would be welcome.

I don't even know what to say. Imagine me speechless!

Pretty sad story there Wade... man does that suck. But yeah, I'm thinking lawyer too. I'm wondering if there is a stigma attached to that getting a needle stick and she suddenly became UNDESIRABLE. Can't have a potential risk on staff you know... she is a threat!! So it is plausible that the sent-a-card thing is a cover up for the real reason. I don't know... just thinking.

My thoughts are with you and your wife. Sound like you are BOTH troopers though... keep up the good fight! Best to ya on this one!!!

Friggin hard to believe! Maybe it's best to move along, instead of working for dimwits like this. Sounds like a phony baloney excuse to me. Maybe they would rather get rid of a well paid and compensated nurse to hire three part timers with lower pay and benefits? I hope you get a chance to say a few words on the way out, but I'm pretty sure these kind of chickenshoots won't be anywhere near that day! Best of luck to you and the missus.

Man that's crazy....It just goes to show you, that company's (and apparently hospitals) simply don't care about their employees..I would'nt give them the thrill of seeking a lawyer, and would'nt go back if they offered personally... I still struggle everyday with my job at Airtran....That's a tough pill to swallow for sure...I was the senior maintenance supervisor with nearly 14 years, and management simply wanted to show everyone the power that they had by intimidating, and down right threatening me into something I did'nt want to do...I still go to work every night from 10:30 till 7 am with a huge smile on my face, and a "can do" attitude to supervisors that were WAY my junior...I know everyone is not religious here, and I apologize if I offend anyone, but I think my situation, and Wade's wifes situation is very much God guided, will turn out to be a blessing to both of us...I just tell myself that I work for the Lord, and wherever he sends me, I work directly for him (I actually told the regional manager this), and nobody else...and that he would'nt put anything on my plate that I could'nt handle...and with that attitude, I have been moving strait up, even with the regional manager...But believe me, if there was another opportunity for me, I would jump on it.... Hang in there Wade, we will keep you in our prayers, and ya'll take advantage of her time off while you can...Me and Kimmy are fluorishing still, after all we've been through, and no way could have done it without God. Im about halfway through my training as a Stephen Minister (LifeCare)and am filled with the desire to help people, as we have been helped. This is the path God has chosen for me, and the thrill I get every Tuesday night at the Church, is fantastic...simply by doing what Im guided to do...The feeling of being obedient, is extremely rewarding through his graces....Okay, off my soapbox...Our prayers are with you my brother, and we will be in touch....Mark and Kimmy.

Unbelievable!!! Fired for caring. "Religious overtones on the card" ... isn't this the same guy that had a bad attitude pastor in his room when the needle stick happened?

Why not go to the media instead - this story would get prime time in Australia for its absurdity ... headline: Fired for caring too much!

Anyway ... anger and thoughts of retaliation aside, God is still in control and he did say don't be surprised if you are persecuted. It's gonna be a blessing for you - just maybe can't see it yet.

BTW ... your wife sounds like some amazing lady. Lucky you.

Yes, I would get the smartest and meanest sob lawyer you could find and sue the s*%# out of that hospital for negligence in not providing proper protection from her getting the virus in the first place. They would work on contingency and shouldn't cost you a cent up front but a percentage of the settlement.

You just can't make that kind of crap up. Is it all hospitals? Every other day Sherri tells me about some equally effed up crap happening at her hospital. You'd think it was a mental institution, not a regular hospital.

you could always send another card wishing the family the most painful suffering death possible.
as it was their ignorance that started this in the first place.

I think they're trying to avoid a workman's comp case from the needle stick. GET A LAWYER and file asap. That card was an oppertunity to run the smoke screen and bail.

Showed up with the wife at the hospital today in my worst mood mode , we were escorted by staff like some common criminals to the locker with an entourage of management and security . I was lettin 'em have it so they offered to have me physically removed . They wouldn't even allow her to say goodbye , just told to her leave the grounds immediately .
We could feel tha love , I'm tellin' ya !
These hyenas just lost one of the most dedicated nurses they ever had .
She's 58 , so she's just gonna file for her (deserved) disability and call it quits .

seriously, this is nuts......Move to Fort Smith,, You and your wifes "kind" are welcome here !

Hey Wade, Sorry to hear about all this sh*t, I would at least talk to a lawyer, find out your options. The family who's used needle stuck your wife is probably trying to protect them self's and now the hospital is protecting them self's. So protect your self, your wife and family get a lawyer! BTW did you get any test results back? I hope things work out for you.

It's crap Wade, but you don't let it rob you of the good folks you clearly are or then they win. You keep fighting the good fight. We are not responsible for how others act, only how we react.

eddy

That's screwed up Wade. I'd talk to a lawyer for sure to see if you have a case. And let the media know too.

You two are in our prayers.

Wade,

Not much help to you from where I am sitting (literally) but may I make a suggestion.

Going in there tomorrow screaming at them will not help you other perhaps than to let off a little steam.

As has been mentioned, what I think would give you a little leverage would be to calmly inform them that you'll have the television cameras there say, on Monday.
Hospitals anywhere hate bad publicity and they'll sh!t bricks until then (better than any fuss you can make, save perhaps breaking a skull or two, which I wouldn't recommend).

If you have the contacts and can actually orchestrate such an event (TV coverage), then even better.
Either way, good luck to you.

Wow! That HIV patient and his family AND pastor are nasty people.

I'm with Bedouin on this one.

I'm not fully up to date with the case but there was a lot of media in the UK for a senior nurse who was suspended/fired (not too sure) for saying a prayer at a patients bedside and someone took offence.

There was a lot of bad press for the NHS authority who took the action against her and the nurse (i think) did get a lot of support and job offers from it.

It certainly is a newsworthy story and if healthcare providers in the USA are anything like the UK, one thing they fear apart from litigation is bad publicity.

Plus the fact that quite a lot of people (like on here) are sick of hearing how good people are continually getting put down by politically correct a holes.

I hope everything works out well for you and the wife Robert.

I'm really sorry to hear this Wade. I am also on the "get a lawyer" side of this. If not wrongfull termination, your wife being 58 could also work for age discrimination, especially if there is a pattern and there aren't many left older than her. Just my 2 cents. I hope all works out.

later, Tom.

whilst i am not a lover the get a lawyer culture i think there instances where it is valid.
if work over there is anything like it is here in uk at 58 your not gonna get many more chances at work sad but true it seems experience counts for nothing over here, so you could be looking at potential lost earnings as well as any mental stress this has created for you and your wife i work within the NHS and from what goes on around here this doesnt surprise me,
i can only wish you both well which ever course of action you decide on

Sounds like something Neal Boortz would like to hear about (boortz.com).

Also, sounds as though they're shopping for any excuse to dump her and relieve themselves of any responsibility. Before getting an attorney, she'll most likely have to go through all the hoops of your State Dept. of Labor.

Bob

Those HIPAA rules are a bitc#. You wouldn't believe the hoops I had to jump through as the FMLA Coordinator in my Co. I don't know a single lawyer willing to challenge a company for enforcing HIPAA. And that's before you add the religious overtone complaint.

We terminated a 20+ year 'ee about 7 yrs ago for taking home a CD with 'ee address/phone #'s. He used this info everyday and was working on a program to improve a database. Noting nefarious, just neglected to tell his boss that he was going to finish the project at home.

That being said, with the years of service your wife had at that Hosp., this treatment still seems harsh (though my wife was once terminated for allowing her crucifix necklace to fall out of her scrubs once while she was tending to a Christian patient in a non Christian facility).

Get the lawyer and let him/her do the talking for you. Your job is to help your wife get through this. It's got to be difficult for her!

All I can say is Jesus, what is this country coming to? Really unbelievable, and, as all others say, as much as I hate lawyers, there is a time and a place even for them. This be one of them!!!