Anne Mitchell, a registered nurse in Texas, was acquitted today of felony charges of "misuse of official information".
Mitchell was charged with the felony after reporting a doctor for incompetence, and was facing up to a ten year sentence. Nurses around the country were enraged, as Mitchell only reported the doctor after nothing was done by the facility where they both worked.
Why do nurses care so much about this case?
This case is very important to nurses and other support staff in every hospital around the country. Had Mitchell been convicted, it could have led to nurses intentionally ignoring misconduct by physicians for fear of reprisal. Nurses must be able to practice autonomously, working for the good of their patients, not for the good of physician. In order to actively prevent harm against patients, nurses must be able to report misdeeds by doctors (or any practitioner) without fear for themselves, their license or their job.
Mitchell currently has a lawsuit pending against the hospital, as she was fired for doing the right thing, and this decision will certainly help her case.
Congratulations to Anne Mitchell, RN and her attorney John Cook.
For more information about this case, read the original blog post and be sure to check out the comment section.
Keep up with surgery news and information by signing up for the Surgery Newsletter.
Check out the Surgery Forums for surgery discussions, support and more!
