To the Editor: I am a hospital patient advocate. I was working in a shipyard about 42 years ago, when a crane clamp let loose and a 30-foot I-beam fell on my legs. Both were severely injured, but I lost my right one with a below-knee amputation. Since
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
|
To the Editor:
I am a hospital patient advocate. I was working in a shipyard about 42 years ago, when a crane clamp let loose and a 30-foot I-beam fell on my legs. Both were severely injured, but I lost my right one with a below-knee amputation. Since then, I tried to live as near a normal life as possible with one leg. I worked driving, and on boats, always trying to not let this loss get me down.
About six years ago I started to do volunteer work at Kent Hospital as a patient advocate, I worked in the Emergency and Rehabilitation Departments especially with those patients who were injured or with amputations. I would always try to make patients feel comfortable and also try to make them laugh, even during difficult times. I was voted by my peers as the Volunteer of the Year in 2014.
A part of my routine was to dress up as Santa, The Easter Bunny and Johnny Depp as a pirate, through the course of the year. This past Halloween, I wore a Donald Trump mask while handing our candy to the staff. But the next morning, I got a call from my volunteer boss, with her telling me I was no longer allowed in the Emergency Department. This was because the nurse manager on duty the previous night told my boss that the Donald Trump mask was inappropriate. Now no one complained that night, or told me to remove the mask, or asked me to stop. I was not interfering with any of the staff and it was a normal Halloween Night. The next day I found out that my volunteer boss canceled my security badge for access to the Emergency Department.
My volunteer supervisor called me at home and told me that “we have to meet.” I met with her, the accusing nurse and security the next day. I quickly felt that all present were acting against me. I was asked, “Do you know why you are here?” I answered with “I have a good idea.” I then left feeling that the deck was unfairly loaded.
My next step was to get an appointment with the president of Kent Hospital, to ask for an appeal or explanation what I did wrong and why the nurse and my volunteer nurse were acting this way. We met about three weeks later and the president told me that he spoke with people in the Emergency Department and was told that I always did a good job and was well liked. But he then told me “there is nothing I can do.”
I have been a volunteer at Kent Hospital for about six years and have had no previous complaints and never interfered with patient care. I worked evening shits, never missed an assignment and was selected as “Volunteer of the Year” by my peers in 2014.
Because Kent Hospital treated me this way, which I feel is quite unfair, I truly wonder how it really treats its employees and patients.
Edward Stewart
Warwick
2 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Portquin
Since when did being the president be a bad thing? I'm 66 years old and my whole life I thought it was an honor. Someone using a mask to pretend the president to pass out candy is wrong? He was the volunteer of the year in 2014 and now he's treated like a piece of garbage by the hospital. But it's OK to pretend you're Santa Claus or the Easter bunny or Johnny Depp – who is a no good no value no no ethics person out of Hollywood is ok but to pretend you're the president is a horrible thing nowadays because it's Donald Trump? Kent should be ashamed of themselves to the point that I would consider going somewhere else to to treat a volunteer like that. It sounds like he did nothing but good for everybody in the hospital and then to turn on him because of political correctness is appalling he wasn't a presidential candidate he's the actual president get over it .
Friday, May 12, 2017 Report this
RISchadenfreude
Yet another example of Trump Derangement Syndrome...it's going to be a long 4-8 years for these poor, deluded, mentally-unbalanced folks- good thing they already work in a hospital and have access to mental health counseling.
The hospital president is spineless- there was just nothing that he CARED to do; seems he's more concerned with his popularity- he wouldn't dare to pull this on a union employee, but it's okay to railroad volunteers.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Report this