What Are They Thinking?!?!?!

The American Nurses Association and the Texas Nurses Association issued a press release on July 16, 2009 and here is part of it: "Winkler County Memorial Hospital nurses Anne Mitchell, RN and Vicki Galle, RN, were charged with violating the law by sending an anonymous letter to the Texas Medical Board that expressed concern about a physician at the hospital. After receiving a complaint of harassment from the physician, the Winkler County Sheriff’s Department initiated an investigation that resulted in criminal charges against both nurses.

Because the two nurses worked for a county hospital – and included medical record numbers of the patients in their reporting (no patient names were disclosed) – the County Attorney’s office indicted them on misuse of official information – a third-degree felony that carries potential penalties of two-to-ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10,000. Mitchell and Galle, both long-time nurses at the hospital, were fired from their positions."

I will have to assume that since the Medical Board, ANA and TNA all are in support of the nurses that there is validity to the complaints. There have been malicious reporting to the Boards to "get back" at practitioners, but we have to be careful not to sway into discouraging a way to have nurses advocate for patients. That said and assuming that there are standard of care issues, I find it incredible that nurses are being vilified for advocating for patients. Nurses have a duty to advocate for patients. Too often a complaint to the Medical Board is the only way to protect patients because hospitals refuse to recognize dangerous physicians because the physicians are revenue resources for the hospital (and often in small towns for the town). To say that these nurses misused official information appears to be a ridiculous stretch and it causes one to question the real reason behind the actions against these nurses.

If you want to vocalize your opinions the contact information for the Winkler County Attorney's office which was obtained online is:

COUNTY ATTORNEY, Scott Tidwell,
COUNTY ATTORNEY, Belle Armendariz
100 EAST WINKLER, SECOND FLOOR COURT HOUSE,
KERMIT, TX 79745 OR
CO. ATTORNEY, P.O. BOX 1015, WINKLER COUNTY,
KERMIT, TX 79745

(432) 586-2596 (432) 586-3535