Whistleblower: A Tale of Libel, Slander & Deceit

A Nurse's Nightmare At my nursing school in Nova Scotia, the nuns stressed our top priority: patient care was everything! Leaving an organized, modern, efficient Boston Hospital for a small community hospital in Northern Maine was quite a shock. The difference in priorities regarding patient care would soon be apparent. Addressing recurring issues or challenging an official opinion was a no-no. Don't make the doctor angry! Relying on my experience in Boston, I reported that a patient with kidney failure should be sent to Boston to access a kidney machine not available here. Immediately after my report rumors about me floated throughout the hospital, rumors including the doctor trying to get my license revoked - which proved to be true. Very soon I was out of a job. At this point I had to respond to these false accusations so I contacted a lawyer. My pursuit of justice ended in a courtroom where I could finally tell my story, facing all those doctors and hospital personnel that helped him. My reputation as an honest, caring nurse was at stake and no one, including a doctor, was going to ruin that reputation. My battle for the truth in this matter went all the way from the Superior to the Supreme Court of Maine. It was a long painful journey for me and my family. What I went through haunts me to this day.

I was educated in Nova Scotia during the depression. Early in my education I wanted to be a nurse. As soon as I finished high school, I entered the Halifax Infirmary. The three years flew by. I left Halifax and sought work in Boston Mass Memorial Hospitals. I spent three years there; and I then left the city with my husband, he had a teaching contract in Caribou Maine, and off we went. Working now in a small community hospital was a challenge. Recently a Strategic Air Command base had opened and overwhelmed the small hospital. It took time and great effort to meet the needs of a different onslaught of patient care. The base itself had a MEDEVAC plane always available. The case about which I now write was delayed after I had made my complaint to the Director of Nurses that she be transferred to a kidney machine. Failure to move her caused her demise. It was a "cause célèbre" in the small town and I was forced to take steps to protect my reputation as a nurse. The actions by the hospital and doctor in question changed forever my view of the medical institution.