Nurse’s Rant Goes Viral

Lex Hinkley, RN, BSN, a traveling nurse posted a video on TikTok that has gone viral. I don’t know her though we both live in San Diego. Regardless, she is very upset and concerned about the safety of our patients. Patients are being discharged from health care facilities with no place to go.

The nurse talked about how these patients are being placed in wheelchairs, taken from the emergency room, and dumped outside on the sidewalk. No need to say it twice but this is obviously very concerning. This is NOT the type of care we want to provide to patients, and it is disturbing to see health care facilities treating human beings like this. She also goes on to say how things will not change until corporate healthcare is dismantled.

While I agree with everything this nurse has said, I am concerned about her use of social media, especially using profanity, in hopes to make a change. I think for changes to be made in health care, we must band together and find solutions rather than hopping on social media and just condemning it.

Remember, social media platforms are not owned by you. Even if it’s a private group, it is possible for your information to still be discovered. I am concerned about this nurse and her future. The Board or current or future employers may consider this unprofessional conduct.

If this nurse is concerned to this level about what is happening in healthcare and it goes against her ethical beliefs, maybe either this isn’t the right fit for her or there are other ways to solve the problems. The other thing she did discuss is the EMTALA law, which is the anti-dumping legislation which requires healthcare facilities to take all patients, stabilize them and then release them.

As long as the patient is stable, the facilities have the right to release them. The problem is where can they be released? Our country is inundated with people that call the streets their home. The nurse called them, “unhoused.” But what do we do with them?

Here in San Diego, there is an anti-camping ordinance which prohibits tent encampments in all public spaces in the city. But they did build some tent cities in which people could camp, rest, shower and maybe even get a hot meal.

However, and unfortunately, the only remedy the police have is to enforce this anti-camping ban. Yet, how can they expect those people to go to court or to pay the fine when, after all, they are homeless?

This is a huge problem in our society, as well as healthcare, which needs to be tackled so that people can be treated humanely in our society.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter.