The Bakersfield Incident

Over the weekend, a local SoCal story went national.

A nurse at a Bakersfield, CA "independent living facility" refused to give CPR to an 87-year-old tenant who collapsed in a common area of the facility, even after being urged to do so by the 911 operator.

Why?

Because doing so was against corporate policy.

Bottom line...

The nurse protected her job, but the 87-year-old woman died.

If you are not on top of this story, you can catch up on it here.

Now, The Blog has a whole lot of opinion about this story.

But, someone near and dear to The Blog beat me to it, and posted some very thoughtful and articulate comments about this incident on Facebook.

With his permission, The PC proudly presents his very first guest blogger, The PC's own son.

Give it up for The Blog, Jr.!

I'm not blaming the lady specifically. I'm blaming the fact that there is even a policy like this in existence. The operator even said that the liability is taken up by EMS if something goes wrong and there is no fault to the person administering CPR, so there is no excuse for not being able to assist this woman. As a nurse, no matter what their employ is, she has a duty to aid. WTF is the point of having nurses at this establishment if they are not allowed to do their job and provide emergency aid?!?!? This is disgusting as a supposedly civilized society, we just allow corporate bureaucracy to take presidence over a person's life when assistence could have been provided.

Actually, I've changed my mind, after hearing it over and over again. I'm going to blame this nurse. Hate me, unfriend me, think what you like, but this whole "following policy" bullshit is ridiculous and it's no excuse. YOU HAVE A HUMAN BEING DYING IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING!!!! Fuck a few broken or bruised ribs, ... we have good samaritan laws in place so there is no liability on the people who are trying to do the right thing and save someone's life by administering CPR. This woman is just standing here with her thumbs up her ass while a woman is dying right in front of her and people wanna sit here and tell me, "she's just following policy"?!?!? "she's just following orders"?!?!? If we're going to allow that to be a valid excuse, then we're saying that the people running Nazi concentration camps were off the hook because they were "just following Hitler's orders"!!! Logically explain to me how it is any different. I hope this "nurse" goes to the grave knowing the blood that's on her hands of the life she could have saved had she said "screw the policy, this woman is dying and I have the training to prevent it".

 Can you see why The Blog is so damned proud of his son?

The Blogling doesn't fall far from the tree, or something like that.

Just to tie it all up...

Here is The Blog's comment on The Blog, Jr.'s thread...

Have I mentioned, lately, how proud I am of you?

It is a real shame that we live in a world where life saving policies are dictated by legal departments rather than common sense. But, it turns out, while she may have saved her job by following policy, she may have broken a couple of California laws regarding the treatment of the elderly. The facility may be in deep hot water, as well. Police are investigating.

As you know, (but your friends may not,) I work on a TV show a couple days a week with four actual doctors. By production company policy, and the policy of Paramount Studios, if someone is hurt or has a heart attack, or whatever, the doctors are forbidden to lift a finger. It has happened on several occasions. The Exec producers and lawyers have physically stood between the doctors (one of them an E.R. trauma doc, fully qualified to deal with an emergency) and the victim. This has pissed the doctors off so much that the E.R. doc demanded, and got, a defibulator rig set up next to my station back stage. We have been instructed by the E.R. doc to bring it to him if he ever yells, "DeFib!" To Hell with legal policy.

Anyway, again Blog, Jr., I was floored by your articulate and passionate comments! Well done! (You must have gotten it from your Grandpa!)