'I see the SS tattoo & think about what he might think about having Jewish physician caring for him'

[bigtree]

Taylor Nichols, MD @tnicholsmd
He came in by ambulance short of breath. Already on CPAP by EMS. Still, he was clearly working hard to breathe. He looked sick. Uncomfortable. Scared.

As we got him over to the gurney and his shirt off to switch a a hospital gown, we all noticed the number of Nazi tattoos. 1/


____ He was solidly built. Older. His methamphetamine use over the years had taken its usual toll and his teeth were all but gone.

The swastika stood out boldly on his chest. SS tattoos and other insignia that had previously been covered by his shirt were now obvious to the room.

“Don’t let me die, doc.” He said breathlessly as the RT switched him over from CPAP by EMS to our mask and machine.

I reassured him that we were all going to work hard to take care of him and keep him alive as best as we could.

All of us being a team that included a Jewish physician, a Black nurse, and an Asian respiratory therapist.

We all saw. The symbols of hate on his body outwardly and proudly announced his views. We all knew what he thought of us. How he valued our lives.

Yet here we were, working seamlessly as a team to make sure we gave him the best chance to survive that we could. All while wearing masks, gowns, face shields, gloves. The moment perfectly captured what we are going though as healthcare workers as this pandemic accelerates.

Link to tweet

[LizBeth]

1. "Maybe I am not ok".... Wow, and honest.

[bigtree]

13. yeah, I felt that

...how many of us are ok, would be ok in his shoes?

I think he's ok, btw.

[LizBeth]

16. How many of us would have walked away from family, friends, a marriage because of Q or Trumper.

Throw in the isolation, 8 months being conditioned with differing behavior. I agree. We are not the same.

[Funtatlaguy]

2. Not all Republicans are racist but all racists are Republicans.

[Aristus]

3. There was a scene on 'ER' a number of years ago. Can't find a YouTube video of it anywhere.

A big, crewcut kind of guy is in for an EKG, and Gloria Reuben's character is doing the EKG, and trying to get him to take off his shirt. He angrily asks for another doctor to do the EKG. She tries to reason with him, but eventually (probably understandably upset at what she thinks is his racism) she just rips his shirt off, and there on his chest is the disk and Maltese cross of the KKK.

His eyes fill with tears and he tells her "I didn't want you to see that. That's not who I am anymore. I've given it up."

Powerful moment. Just wish I could find a video of it.

[Pachamama]

5. I remember that episode....I think after surgery she changed the symbol when she sutured up...

[Lady Freedom Returns]

8. There's been some questions about the ethics of this doctor.

Do you see anything you would class as unethical about what the doctor said?

[Aristus]

10. See my reply below.

In the absence of name and date of birth, I don't think he did.

"He was an anti-masker with Nazi tattoos".

That could be one of, oh, twenty million people in this country.

[janterry]

11. If I were to give a case example and my client could be identified

by the details I gave, it would be unethical and I could be reported (I am a social worker).

This patient could be identified by the hospital, his sex, his tattoos, his teeth, and his past history of substance use. Also, we know the hospital and the physician.

This is what makes it wrong. When I DO talk about former clients, I change their sex, sometimes their race, or even where I worked with them. I change MANY details.

I make them so unidentifiable, that no one could figure out who they are.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

12. Everything you are saying is sparkling the reporter in me.

And what you are saying doesn't sound quiet right.

I personally hope the hospital can identify him. Part of their job is to keep track of those in their hospital.


And Nazi tattoos are prevalent so that is not really a red flag.

This has less information than news organizations give out for identifying fetchers of a robbery suspect.

[janterry]

14. Other people who work in that hospital

will know who this MD is talking about. I hope that the staff who work there do NOT know who this MD is talking about on twitter.

We are not just talking about clinical staff. There are plenty of other staff who work there. Including housekeepers.

As I wrote, this would be very unethical in my discipline. If I worked at that hospital, I would fully expect to be written up (perhaps worse). If I had subordinates, I would write them up for this.

I can't speak for the MD - often, because of their license, they get away with more than other staff would.

[bigtree]

15. you've managed to dehumanize this doctor for speaking out

...and the only concern expressed for the patient is this hyperbolic claim of yours he's been revealed.

Your spectacularly unfounded concerns ("If I worked at that hospital" ) are far outweighed by every aspect of what the doctor related. You ignored the very humanity he expressed for the patient, dismissed his heroic acts in service of this and other patients to try and indict him somehow for relating all of this.

It's just sad that you've enjoined that bitterness on the net toward this doctor and brought it here.

[janterry]

19. demonize, lol

no, just pointed out problems with ethical violations

What he related? I could talk about that, too. But I haven't.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

17. Still some questions...

So I take it you're angry due to your belief that you have to uphold some sort of higher standard?

[janterry]

20. No, I don't think so

I think he should uphold the same standard as all of us.

But MD's rarely get called on this (just being practical, here).

As I wrote, I really think this is wrong.

[Best_man23]

18. Another scene from ER

This is the reason I could not be a cop or a doctor (well, the chemistry and math would keep me from being a Dr.). This would be my reaction if an antimasker with Covid came to me (start at 4:30). Call me whatever, this is how I feel right now. These fuckos and their asshat God Emperor robbed so many families of their loved ones, their bread winners...sorry, but I have little sympathy for anyone of these deniers who show up at an ER with Covid.

[janterry]

4. This is not ethical

this man could be identified by others at the hospital and perhaps his family.

I said this the first time it was posted on this site. I don't think this MD has done the right thing by tweeting this. If he obscured the patient so much that he could NOT be identified, perhaps.

But I don't think this is ethical

[Aristus]

7. No name or DOB.

And there are so many right-wingers out there with Nazi tattoos, I don't think the doctor gave the game away by mentioning them.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

9. Just asked you what you thought!

[liberalmuse]

6. This is subjecting our healthcare workers to cruelty.

Because at some point, our healthcare workers will have to start turning away good people who did all they could to avoid getting the virus because there will be hoards of MAGA and Nazi pieces of trash who refused to wear masks bogarting all the respirators.