reprint from a patient's Journal.:

Beware of Strange Nurses

A story based on a real nurse.


NATIONAL NURSING PATIENT'S PROTECTION
ASSOCIATION (fictitious organization)

Our Motto: "We thank God for a long, strong Sword and hope never to use it."

Our objective in addition to protecting nursing home and rehabilitation facility patients is to keep the public informed.

Many people are not aware, that hospitals and nursing homes have a difficult time protecting patient's from the facilities' own employees.

Often it is difficult to pick out the reasonable and rational nurses or CNA's. Many times, employees, who have been embittered by years of difficult lives, and times, are affected emotionally, so that it negatively affects how they treat the helpless patients assigned to them. This has been demonstrated by illogical actions, poor judgment and incorrect information being passed on to attending physicians. The following is an account of a well respected R.N. working in an east coast facility:

"Angel"

We will call this nurse Angel, to disguise her true identity. She had been working in the same medical organization for over ten years. Her previous experience totaled over twenty years in the medical field.

It was a well known fact by her fellow nurses, that she disliked chipmunks. She would relate her chipmunk experiences to her peers at work. Angel equated the cute little creatures to rats. She began a project to exterminate them. Feeling that rat traps, or traditional animal traps were too messy, she purchased a "Have-A-Heart" trap. These were known as a non lethal trap, used mainly for capturing animals that would eventually be set free.
In Angel's situation, she so disliked the furry little guys, that she would prepare a five gallon pail of water and set it next to the trap. When she took a chipmunk out of the trap, she would immediately, drop the animal into the pail of water, and hold the cover on, until the splashing and screeching stopped. After Angel uncovered the pail, the expired fur ball, was put in a small trash bag and dropped into the garbage can.
We don't have the time or space to point out the occasional patient abuse for which Angel was known. Nor do we have the answer for the reason that her six year old son tried to kill her. It is obvious that Angel could be a tragedy waiting for opportunity.
Today, shocking actions by nursing workers are well published by the media.

So, we take this opportunity to remind and warn you that your confined, loved, and elderly relatives should not be considered safe.
21 December 2005