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DURHAM D

(32,609 posts)
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 01:57 PM Nov 2020

What would you do?




He came in by ambulance short of breath. Already on CPAP by EMS. Still, he was clearly working hard to breathe. He looked sick. Uncomfortable. Scared.

As we got him over to the gurney and his shirt off to switch a a hospital gown, we all noticed the number of Nazi tattoos.


14 posts in Nichols thread
17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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What would you do? (Original Post) DURHAM D Nov 2020 OP
As a health care worker? Treat him, why? WhiskeyGrinder Nov 2020 #1
Seems obviously. Doesn't it? Takket Nov 2020 #6
And it's what the guy who did the thread did. Good for him for recognizing that his hesitation WhiskeyGrinder Nov 2020 #9
I would treat him and if he survived, I give him Raven Nov 2020 #2
I think any health care worker would give him the same care as anyone else. MissB Nov 2020 #3
You do what you would do with anyone, you save his life. Caliman73 Nov 2020 #4
Hippocratic Oath. nt Tommy_Carcetti Nov 2020 #5
Treat him, and when he's well, introduce him to the team who worked on him . . . Journeyman Nov 2020 #7
Exactly! dubyadiprecession Nov 2020 #13
Not sure I_UndergroundPanther Nov 2020 #8
I'd do what they did... stillcool Nov 2020 #10
I would treat him and NOT tweet about it janterry Nov 2020 #11
Ignore it and keep working lame54 Nov 2020 #12
Treat him of course, Piasladic Nov 2020 #14
My wife is a front line health care worker. hunter Nov 2020 #15
Treat him, and if he recovers find him in a bar and then call in Magneto mtnsnake Nov 2020 #16
We treat everyone. ismnotwasm Dec 2020 #17

WhiskeyGrinder

(22,329 posts)
9. And it's what the guy who did the thread did. Good for him for recognizing that his hesitation
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:13 PM
Nov 2020

is a sign he needs to do some work, too.

Caliman73

(11,736 posts)
4. You do what you would do with anyone, you save his life.
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:02 PM
Nov 2020

Yes, people with Nazi tattoos are deplorable, but the role of medical staff is to save lives, period. You can be disgusted, but your job is saving lives.

I have had to investigate abuse and mitigate risk for people who I found had repulsive views, even against the ethnic group I associate with. I do my job and try not to treat people better or worse than any other. Then, I debrief about how difficult it was to work with said person/people, then I do it again.

Journeyman

(15,031 posts)
7. Treat him, and when he's well, introduce him to the team who worked on him . . .
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:05 PM
Nov 2020

I'm certain he'd find a face or three that didn't jibe with his ideologies.

I_UndergroundPanther

(12,463 posts)
8. Not sure
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:05 PM
Nov 2020

If I took an oath to help people no matter what and do no harm I'd hold my nose and help the son of a bitch. I would not be nice or polite to him. But I'd ask why'd you get those tats? If he's still a nazi I definitely wouldn't be gentle or nice,but I would do what I promised in the oath.

If I didn't have that oath promise to live up to I'd be very tempted to make it worse,let it be more unpleasant and painful for that nazi piece of shit.

stillcool

(32,626 posts)
10. I'd do what they did...
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:23 PM
Nov 2020

probably like muscle memory, or auto-pilot. See the mess and keep on working.

 

janterry

(4,429 posts)
11. I would treat him and NOT tweet about it
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 02:25 PM
Nov 2020

I think this is only marginally ethical (IF that).

This man could be identified, certainly by other medical staff, perhaps by his family and friends.

I don't applaud this MD at all.

Piasladic

(1,160 posts)
14. Treat him of course,
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 03:26 PM
Nov 2020

but I've seen lots of threads here about not treating idiotic, non-mask wearing, covid deniers. It sort of surprises me that Nazi tattoos are less conflicting than treating our current crop of covidiots.

I suppose, one could argue that a tattoo doesn't automatically make them an active threat to people; whereas, a non mask-wearing, no social-distance, virus spreader does...

Thought provoking thread

hunter

(38,311 posts)
15. My wife is a front line health care worker.
Mon Nov 30, 2020, 04:16 PM
Nov 2020

She treats people like that every day and has been doing it near thirty years.

She's always worked in rough underserved communities. I think she's seen every sort of tattoo -- from swastikas and tears on faces to "Eat Me" on nether regions.

Her work this past month is pretty much all covid all the time. Ordinary health care services have been postponed indefinitely.

She's seeing patients in her clinic who would in normal times be hospitalized, but the hospitals are full and only taking patients who are very, very, ill. That's true for non-covid related health problems as well.

So far she's avoided covid but some of her colleagues have not been so fortunate.

The worst part of it is not visiting our families for fear of infecting them, most especially our parents.

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