Doctor and Nurse Pair Fired for Discharging Woman Who Gave Birth 8 Minutes Later
- Indiana mother Mercedes Wells gave birth to her baby on the side of the road just eight minutes after she says she was discharged from the hospital.
- Video footage of her giving birth went viral, along with outrage over her mistreatment.
- The news comes alongside other alleged mistreatment of a Black woman in labor, leading some to demand that healthcare professionals address racism in obstetrical care.
In only a week's span of time, two stories of pregnant women experiencing significant gaps in healthcare have gone viral. The first occurred in Texas, when a pregnant woman in active labor appeared to be dismissed by a triage nurse. The second incident involved Mercedes Wells from Indiana, who claimed she was sent home from Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital on Sunday, Nov. 16, after going into the hospital the night before.
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A Facebook post alleges that Wells was checked around midnight the night prior and was around 3 centimeters dilated. The next morning, when the staff checked her again and found she was still at a 3, she claims the nurse told her she would be discharged. (Another Facebook post by Wells' sister-in-law claims that the nurse who checked her was also new and had only a few months of labor and delivery experience.)
Wells says she was having regular contractions every 4-5 minutes apart, and was never assessed or even visited by a doctor. Upon hearing that she would be sent home, the post says she "begged" the nurses to let her stay.
Only 8 minutes after leaving the hospital, Wells gave birth on the side of the road. Video of the incident, which shows Wells being wheeled out of the hospital in distress and then holding her newborn as the car barrels down the road, quickly went viral, sparking immediate outcry.
Franciscan Health Speaks Out
Now, the hospital where Wells says she was discharged from has done a little discharging of their own, announcing they have fired a nurse and doctor responsible for Wells' care.
In a public statement, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady stated that the video was "difficult to watch" and admitted that the hospital "failed to listen to Mrs. Wells' concerns."
The CEO concluded the statement announcing three action steps following Wells' treatment:
- Cultural competency training for all labor and delivery staff
- The physician and nurse "directly involved with Mrs. Wells’ care" have been fired
- A policy that all pregnant patients leaving the Labor and Delivery unit must be examined by a physician before they leave the hospital.
Nurses React
As news of both the incident and the subsequent actions taken by the hospital have spread, nurses have reacted, pointing out how quickly things can change for laboring patients and how the incident points to a larger issue of systemic racism in healthcare and obstetrics especially.
"As a Maternity Nurse I know Things can go left So Fast with labor!" wrote one commenter on Instagram. "Thank God there weren’t any complications while she and her husband delivered the baby."
"Black women have a high rate of medical neglect due to their race," added another. "We actually learned about this in nursing school and they are bringing more awareness to new student in the field…😢 I’m glad her and baby are alive!"
"As a labor nurse who triages, there’s no reason somebody should be delivering a baby on the side of the road minutes after they leave the hospital unless they leave ama or refuse to be seen..." wrote another.
One Instagram commenter also pointed out that even if, technically, hospital protocol for no change in cervical dilation over a time period was followed, as is standard for many OB units, patient behavior and pain level should be assessed as part of a healthcare provider's decision-making process as well.
As many mothers and nurses can attest to, especially with women who have already given birth before, as Wells had, it is possible to go from a small level of dilation to full-on crowning in a matter of minutes as well.
Source: People
The good news is, as ABC News reports, Wells' baby girl is healthy and doing well.
Wells and her husband have stated that they are not seeking compensation from the hospital, but are hoping for "accountability" and "changes in hospital policy."
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