A nurse was caught watching soccer while taking blood from a seizure patient. According to reports, the nurse wasn’t penalized for his actions, reports the New York Post. On Feb. 8, 19-year-old Libby Bates was transported to Queen Elizabeth Hospital from her home in London after having a non-epileptic seizure. Nicola, her mother, is aware that previously, nurses had issues finding her daughter’s vein in order to take her blood, so she informed the nurse that they may need to utilize an ultrasound machine during the process. 

Yet, the mother says the nurse

“ignored”

her and went on to try and take Bate’s blood, while watching soccer with his phone propped up on a computer desk. Reports added that the nurse went into the room before the procedure as he watched the game and continued to watch the game as the needle went into the 19-year-old’s hand. A photo shows the man’s focus on the game while simultaneously attempting to gather tools together to begin the process. 

The teen’s mother said that her daughter’s hand was bruised after the nurse made several attempts to draw the blood. The mother informed the South West News Service,

“He was looking at the phone, watching a goal, when he had the needle in my daughter’s hand… Her hand was covered in bruises.”

Despite receiving an official apology from the Lewisham and Greenwich National Health System Trust that runs the hospital, the nurse’s actions went without consequence, which didn’t satisfy Nicola. The trust told the mother to take further complaints to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

The trust that operates the hospital revealed that the nurse was on his break during the time; however, he decided to still care for Bates. The mother disputed their explanation, claiming that the nurse saw patients before and after her daughter was seen. The hospital went on to say that they will be more active in regards to looking out for

“inappropriate use of mobile phones.” 

#Clique, what are your thoughts?