Nurse Refuses CPR

From the BBC:
"Lorraine Bayless death: Inquiry after nurse refuses CPR"

Police in California have begun an inquiry into the death of an elderly woman after a nurse at her senior community refused to administer CPR. The nurse also disregarded an emergency dispatcher's plea to find "anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die" before medics arrived. She said staff members were not allowed to administer CPR. The executive director of Glenwood Gardens in Bakersfield defended the nurse, saying she had followed policy. Bakersfield police said they were opening the inquiry to determine whether there was criminal wrongdoing in the case, but would not comment further on the investigation. An unidentified woman reportedly called an emergency line after Lorraine Bayless, 87, collapsed inside a dining room and appeared barely to be breathing. A nurse at Glenwood Gardens then got on the phone to say she could not perform CPR.

In a tape of the call, dispatcher Tracey Halvorson can be heard saying: "I understand if your boss is telling you, you can't do it but... as a human being... is there anybody that's willing to help this lady and not let her die?" "Not at this time," the nurse replies. The dispatcher suggests the nurse find another staff member - a gardener perhaps - or a passing stranger to help. Kern County Fire Department Deputy Chief Michael Miller said Ms Halvorson followed procedures during the call.

The elderly woman had no pulse and was not breathing when fire crews reached her, Battalion Chief Anthony Galagaza said.  Bayless was later pronounced dead at Mercy Southwest Hospital.

^ This is disgusting. Any place that has a policy of refusing to help those that need it should be shut down. The fact that it was a place for the elderly and the woman was a nurse makes this even more sick. What is the point of having a nurse on staff if they can't even do CPR? There is no point. The same with nurses at public schools who are as useless as gym classes. I hope CA does something right for a change and does something against the home and the woman who calls herself a nurse (she should have her credentials taken from her.) ^

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21664236