Taping Patient's Mouth Shut: Utah Nurse Fired For Treatment Of Penny Artalejo

SALT LAKE CITY -- Two nurses in a Utah hospital's intensive care unit were fired this week for taping a patient's mouth shut and laughing about it, hospital officials said Friday.

Artalejo's daughter, Brittany Bilson, told the television station that her mother's teeth were chattering and she was moaning and shaking. Bilson said the nurses told her mother to shut up, taped her mouth closed and joked they would be fired if they were caught.

Penny Artalejo was admitted to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo on Dec. 17 with nausea and anxiety from taking medication for chronic neck pain, her daughters told Utah radio station KSL.com.

"It's not right. It's inhumane," Bilson said. "We put our loved ones' lives in their hands. I left the hospital basically thinking she's fine from here, and just more bad happened."

Artalejo said the nurses knew what they were doing was wrong. Though in pain, she said she was alert the whole time.

Her daughters were furious when their mother told them about the incident the next day.

On Dec. 18, Artalejo's daughters confronted the head nurse on the floor where their mother was treated, but he denied the allegation. Bilson and her sister filed a complaint with hospital administrators.

Janet Frank, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said there was a full investigation and the nurses – one male and one female – were fired Wednesday.

"We were able to determine it was a very isolated incident," Frank said. "But as a hospital we are fully committed to providing quality and compassionate care. The allegations that were brought forth were completely against that commitment."

Frank said the incident has been reported to Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. The hospital is not releasing the nurses' names, calling it an internal employee issue.

Bilson said dismissal was appropriate.

"I don't think we should give them an opportunity to do this to anyone else," she said.

Comments

[fiveofpeep]

05:58 PM on 02/02/2012

As an AACN certified Critical care and ANA board certified cardivascular nurse with 28 years of experience, I can tell you that this scenario does not add up. We know how to manage psychiatric emergencies such as this. In the ICU we can give massive doses of sedation, analgesia and even intubation paralytics to manage narcotic withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, and ICU psychosis with extreme agitation. Once a level of sedation scored by RASS or Ramsay is achieved we can keep the addict sedated for three to four days with a gradual weaning of these respective medications. I feel that there is much more to this story than the daughter's account and the patient's perception.

[fiveofpeep]

07:27 PM on 01/27/2012

It just doesn't ring true.
Sounds like a couple of nurses aides to me "oooh we're so going to get in trouble."

No way any RN in her right mind would do something like this.

[Kimberly Smith Linn]

12:02 AM on 02/01/2012

Your kidding right? What makes you believe this? Cause they are "educated"? I have had my run in with RNs and the ones in the hospital are the worst! They think their education makes them know more than a patient. They hate being questioned and do not like when a patient tells them when they are NOT allowed to perform a certain task on them. They want the power of you and they think they can take it. I have not met an RN or LPN that did NOT have this attitude toward a patient. They forget that their first task is a servant to the patient then they would have the right attitude but when they think they are smarter and should do whatever they want is when they do stupid things like this. Anyone is capable of this. Title does not make you exempt.

[Lana Simard]

02:07 PM on 01/03/2012

ER Room bondage 101. God only knows what those two have been up to.

[onecorgilover]

11:47 AM on 01/03/2012

Yet when a teacher does something like this, they don't even get a handslap....bravo to that hospital.

[zombywulf]

03:16 AM on 12/31/2011

So what other crimes have thee two sadists committed that the hospital covered up by firing them without a public hearing? And I hope it costs them Millions, but they will only pass it on to the rest of their victims, I mean patients.

[MandiGurl]

11:43 AM on 01/03/2012

This hospital is an Intermountain hospital believe me they fire for a lot less id gaurentee that this was a first offense for both. And its a non profit hospital so the cost will be paid by the other employees of intermoutain.

[WSS61]

06:48 PM on 12/30/2011

These "nurses" should automatically lose their licenses and never be allowed to work in any capacity as a caregiver to others.

[lisa siebert]

01:55 PM on 12/29/2011

i think these two nurses should lose their license' and never be allowed to work in nursing again they are dangerous and could have killed her!

[lisa siebert]

01:53 PM on 12/29/2011

i think these two nurses should never be allowed to work in nursing again that was horrible

[StopGuardianAbuse]

05:09 AM on 12/29/2011

A nurse? Dismissal isn't good enough. She belongs in a cage.

[Joolsy]

02:26 AM on 12/29/2011

So these women will go on to be caregivers in another facility? I do not understand why they are not being charged with a crime. Abusing an incapacitated person is surely not legal?

[Burkelbile]

05:32 AM on 12/28/2011

More of this stuff goes on than people would believe. Oh, the horror stories I could tell.

[Jenn2]

04:54 PM on 12/27/2011

I work in a hospital, and while I can relate to the whole oh my God please shut up thing, just NO! Tape is for gauze, IV tubes, etc, but under no circumstances is it ever appropriate for a patient to be gagged with it. These two are horrible caregivers. There is no other side to this story. Their lisences should be pulled, at the least, with fines, possible jail time for patient endangerment--she could have vomited, choked, aspirated and died. Due to their obvious lack of compassion and patient care skills, they should also be barred from ever working in the healthcare industry again. Not even a vetinarian office. That's right, I wouldn't send my dog to these psychos let alone my mama!

[galloretta]

12:20 PM on 12/28/2011

WELL SAID. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE BARRED FROM THE MEDICAL FIELD AS WELL.

[Rebel78753]

01:46 PM on 12/27/2011

You think this is bad just look at the ongoings of the State Hospitals. The findings would make the taping incident look humane!

[killingfrostt]

10:24 AM on 12/27/2011

Nope, gonna stay in the Medical field and just wait for my fist chance to use the tape!!!!

[acarioti]

08:56 AM on 12/27/2011

And they thought this was funny?

[killingfrostt]

10:49 AM on 12/27/2011

Riot!!