A New York Presbyterian Hospital nurse was terminated after she posted a photo of a trauma room on her Instagram account with its hashtag "#Manvs6Train."
ABC's New York Med star Katie Duke was terminated for sharing a photo or a trauma room scattered with medical equipment after a man was treated for wounds from being hit by a subway train. The hospital documentary series' second season premiere showed Duke's reaction after she got fired for the photo which was considered insensitive by the hospital staff. One of the 33-year-old nurse's colleagues took the photo.
Duke got a call after her shift telling her that she was fired after serving in the ER for seven years. She claims that her supervisor told her that the termination was not due to a hospital policy breach or violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act otherwise known as the HIPAA which protects the privacy of patients.
Duke posted the photo on her Instagram account with the caption: "ManVs6Train... The After. #lifesaving #EMS #NYC #ER #Nurses #Doctors #nymed #trauma #realLife."
"If you hung around nurse's station and heard the way we talk about injuries, life and death you might get the wrong impression but it's just a coping mechanism..." Duke said. She believes she did not do anything wrong and that she only wanted to show her followers what they just experienced.
The termination did not slow down the nurse who has many other endorsement deals. She recently launched a website and a merchandise collection with her popular catchphrase: "Deal with it." In spite of her dismissal, Duke is still all praise for the New York Med because it is the only TV show that reveals how it really is to work in a hospital. She mentioned shows such as Nurse Jackie and Grey's Anatomy which she said are good drama series and depiction of nurses but noted that these are not real unlike New York Med. Duke said her main goal is to promote a positive perception of nurses.
Medical professionals get into trouble on social media as well. In 2013, a doctor from St. Louis complained on Facebook about a chronically late patient. Hundreds of angry comments emerged. Another doctor was also accused of posting photos of someone who was extremely intoxicated.
