Barred from hospital for being autistic

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If the nurse was a bit older she probably has little knowledge about ASDs. My mother's Australian nursing degree is as old as I am (20) and all she's had in general training was a refresher when she wanted to re-register about 11 years ago. When I brought up the ASD issue with my mother, she asked me "isn't that genetic"? So yes, even RNs are ignorant about ASDs. Luckily all her patients are old people so she isn't likely to encounter a diagnosed autistic. As psychological disorders have become more mainstream in society, it's time health care workers knew not only about depression and anxiety but also about ASDs. As the triage works in an emergency department that would include psychological cases as well as cut and dried medical, she should at least be aware of ASDs and if she doesn't, the hospital is responsible for correcting that. Even aside from the ASD side of things she should have seen how ill you were. Turning a genuinely ill person away for a simple request that went against policy breaches the duty of care. Also her attitude towards you was completely unprofessional, even just for that she should be reprimanded. You cannot treat a human being like that when you have a duty of care towards that person. She is a health care professional, she is supposed to provide health care and be professional about it, it's in the title. A nurse's duty of care is to the extent that if a nurse is knowingly next to someone requiring first aid, in absence of a paramedic or doctor, they are obliged to provide first aid. It is a part of their pledge, at least in Australia.

My son sometimes gets dehydrated because he forgets to drink. This doesn't happen when he's with me, I keep an eye on him, but it's happened in the past when he's visited other family members.

I'd really like to speak to you about this incident.

There are a couple of things that can be done as a result of your being refused emergency medical attention.

First, you are covered under the disabilities act.

Second, your unborn child was deliberately put at risk - medical negligence.

Third, you were put at risk - medical negligence.

The hospital is liable regarding this situation, as is the nurse who told you to leave and ridiculed you (which can be viewed as a 'hate crime' regarding bullying a person covered under the disabilities act), and finally the security guard who aided and abetted refusal of emergency medical attention to an unborn child, mother, and someone covered under the disabilities act.

You do have a case, however, attorneys will be unlikely to represent you for free.

I may be able to help, however, I need to know more about this situation before we can move ahead.

Being turned away in an emergency is illegal in every one of the fifty states in the U.S. It may happen, but it is against the law.

ruveyn

Dx = Hyper emisis gravadarum - in other words uncontrolled vomiting due to pregnancy
literally unable to keep any food or even gatoraid or water down.
I had not kept any food down since thursaday (though I was still vomiting what came up was sometimes staying down long eneugh to look partially digested) Friday I was able to eat a single piece of bread which came up immeadiatly undigested, Saterday I was struggeling to keep hydrated by Sunday morning I knew I was in serious trouble - regardless of how normal morning sickness might be - this was not normal.

I had been to a different hospital a few weeks earlier with the same symptoms but they just laughed at me and said "morning sickness is normal"
I had spoken with my gynaecologist who also down played my symptoms and said "morning sickness is normal"
When I went to the hospital (which turned me out) the initial intake nurse said "I don't doubt you're dehydrated, but I've had five kids and take it from me, morning sickness is normal" - this was a different nurse than the one who turned me out but in hind site I believe that she may have biased the staff towards thinking I was lying about my disabilities because she wanted to know about what medications I was on and seemed surprised - if I was really autistic and epileptic I should be on medications - right . . . wrong

But I don't think a Triage nurse is qualified to diagnose if it is morning sickness or something else - I also have a history of gallbladder problems for example.
Dehydration is also a siezure risk - thankfully I didn't have a bunch of seizures as well!

My autism Dx has been confermed by three different proffessionals - the psychiatrist who initially diagnosed me, the psychologist who is also the president of teh Alberta Autism Society and (though not a clinician, also recognized by) the family councellor at Autism Calgary Association . . . who all said it was "obvious" that I have Aspergers. How is it that some nurse can just decide that I'm really a lying NT making up symptoms who doesn't really deserve emergency care???

Hi Ninszot.

I think everyone here feels you were treated terribly. I know I do. What we are keen to see is this nurse disciplined/educated to make sure no other autistic person has to go through the same thing at her hands and to send a message to other staff at that hospital, and - if news of this gets out - at other hospitals that this is completely unacceptable. Where do things stand now and what action are you taking? Lawyers, letters (or a letter/email campaign from us all here) to the hospital, letters to the media? There are several options.

You can't let this go. You have to do something IMO.

I've heard nothing but horror stories about that hospital.

Yes, civil cases are based on damages, and if the negligence cost you nothing extra and nothing bad happened to the baby, you can win the case - but there would be no damages to award. Without a damage award, there is nothing to pay the lawyer, and the win is pretty hollow.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do something. I think others in Canada (you are in Canada?) have detailed the process for filing a complaint, and that route should be followed. You don't want this to happen to anyone else. I know that sounds kind of exhausting while you've got so much to worry about for yourself and your baby as it is, but it is the best way to get justice. If you don't have it in you right now, so be it, you don't owe it to the world. But I hope you can follow through.

And do contact Fixer_Girl - she might have something I'm not seeing. When she digs in, she makes things happen. Her and I are very different people, but we've had some conversations and I have a ton of respect for her.

Some pregnant women are unable to keep food down their throats so I don't know how that is any different for aspies. It both looks the same to me but you just happen to have AS while those other women don't have it. It sounds like the doctors aren't even listening when you try and tell them your problem.

All those people who diagnosed you and can see it in you, the nurse probably knows nothing about it so she wouldn't even know because she wouldn't know what to look for.

Although I agree the nurse acted horribly, there is a relatively easy solution for this sort of problem. I, too, have been denied entry to hospital based on a triage nurse's dislike of me.

All you need to do is step just outside the hospital, and call 9-1-1. Explain to the emergency operator that the triage nurse will not evaluate you or speak to you because you're mentally disabled, and that you need an ambulance or police to escort you into emergency. Even your husband can call 9-1-1 on your behalf and they must respond no matter what.

Within 5 minutes, you will be escorted into that hospital, guaranteed. Plus you won't be taken to the waiting room, but instead taken straight through into treatment. This goes around all the triage BS. This is what I've always done and it has always worked perfectly.

I have been in touch with fixergirl and hope she has some further suggestions.

My experience with patient concerns (though I have never had a complaint so serious) is that they have a pretty weak process and you never find out what happened with your complaint.

Oh my life, knowing that you're pregnant and suffering from serious sickness, it makes what happened far more serious. They could have caused a miscarriage.

I hope that fixergirl helps you fix this! It's even more outrageous than I thought!

I sympathize
I took my 18 year old son with ASD to the same hospital a few years ago and was also denied the right to go back with him. I was told "he's a big boy, he doesn't need his mother" in a very sarcastic manner. They would not listen to any arguments. I was concerned enough about his breathing difficulties and need for treatment that I acquiesced.
I agree that the nurse may have no knowledge of ASD's, as an RN, I too was very unaware of ASD's until my fourth son's diagnosis last year and subsequent identification of AS for myself. That being said, that doesn't give her the right to treat you as she did and she should be made aware of how her behavior could have jeopardized the outcome for you and your unborn baby.
From what you posted, she refused to allow someone to go back with you at first, she did not refuse you care, as long as you did things "her way".
I work in the health care system and you should contact the site manager for RGH and also the Emergency Department manager. They will listen to your complaint and they will be able to determine who the triage nurse that was on that evening was. They can then speak to her. Another possibility is that Autism Calgary Association (or yourself) could ask the Emergency Department manager for a chance to speak to their staff at an upcoming inservice on ASD's - Difficulties/Challenges Patients with ASD's experience/health care professionals role.
The other thing I suggest is that you obtain a letter from your GP or psychologist in regards to your diagnosis and actions they can take in similar situations that would facilitate your care (including allowing a significant other to stay with you).
Hope this helps, it shouldn't be left, that particular nurse and many other health care professionals need to know more about ASD's, this is an opportunity to provide that information. Good luck.

Thank you for pm'ing me earlier - I am working on it.

I'm speaking with a very large autism/aspergers support group to see what they can do about this.

Typically, situations such as this tend to go public first, then an attorney (usually a leader in the field) will approach you requesting to be your legal council, then the fight is on publicly, politicians kick in with the old "oh my, this doesn't normally happen" and then they pass a few regulations making sure it never does again (which is all the win the ASD community needs at large) and then you are approached with a large figure and the request to make this all go away before a legal hearing takes place.

The moderators on this site are awesome.

You should always take their word as fair and balanced, as I do when my aspie meltdown doesn't let me see the wood for the trees - DW_A_MOM rocks, seriously. She's a good soul, born with a good heart, trying to do the right thing when no one else wants to listen.

In short, she'd "slay dragons with a wooden spoon" to keep right, right and wrong, gone.

One last thing before I sign off for tonight.

If per chance the organization I'm speaking with doesn't want to go any further with this, I have an idea of how we can further this issue legally.

I'll come to you and we'll make a documentary of your situation - post it online and wait for the public outcry.

Every woman can relate (in some way) to being pregnant, and being denied emergency medical care when you are pregnant is so illegal it's scary - in short, this isn't going to happen again once we are through with them.

You seem to have a lot of 'fight/fire' in you - that's a good thing.

We'll make sure this kind of anti-aspie crap stops yesterday.

Are you some kind of lawyer or something?