SALEM, Ore. - An Oregon hospital has placed an oncology nurse on administrative leave after she posted a video on social media in which she said she does not follow safety directives meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when she is not at work.
In the post, the nurse said that she does not wear a mask in public, travels, and lets her children have play dates. The nurse’s original TikTok video was deleted, along with her account, but a duet of her video with a side-by-side reaction by another user remained on the app. "Imagine being an oncology nurse during a pandemic and bragging about not taking precautions," TikTok user Amanda Butcher shared on her duet video.
The nurse was seen wearing scrubs and had a stethoscope draped over her shoulders in her video, which appears to have been recorded in a hospital break room.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday, the hospital said it was taking the incident very seriously and that it was investigating the comments made by the nurse. Salem Health said that the nurse’s views and “cavalier disregard” for COVID-19 safety measures do not reflect those of the hospital.
“Salem Health believes we all need to do our part to protect the vulnerable and stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. This includes requiring staff, patients and visitors to follow guidance from the CDC and others about mask wearing and social distancing,” the hospital said, adding, "The COVID pandemic is serious and requires a serious response."
The nurse declined an interview, KPTV reported. The hospital did not release the nurse’s name.
KTVU contributed to this report.