Lesbian Marine vet files complaints against employee at Dallas hospital
READ THE FULL TEXT OF ESTHER GARATIE’S STATEMENT
Marine veteran Esther Garatie
JOHN WRIGHT | Senior Political Writer
wright@dallasvoice.com
A wounded lesbian Marine veteran who sought mental health treatment at the Dallas VA Medical Center claims she was subjected to an extended anti-gay tirade by a nurse practitioner.
Esther Garatie, 28, a former Marine lance corporal who lives in Dallas, has filed complaints against the nurse practitioner, Lincy Pandithurai of Cedar Hill, with both the VA Medical Center and the Texas Board of Nursing.
Garatie and her friend, Jessica Gerson, have also launched an online petition at Change.org calling for Pandithurai to be fired. By Thursday, Oct. 27, the petition had more than 1,300 signatures.
Pandithurai didn’t return phone messages left at the VA Medical Center or her residence in Cedar Hill.
Garatie, a native of New Orleans who moved to Dallas earlier this year, said she was honorably discharged from the Marines in 2006 after severely injuring her leg while on active duty.
She said she went to the Dallas VA Medical Center on Oct. 12 to seek treatment for severe depression and possible post-traumatic stress disorder — including thoughts of suicide.
In a three-page written statement about the incident, Garatie alleges that Pandithurai inquired about her sexual orientation at the outset of their meeting. After Garatie responded that she was a lesbian, Pandithurai told Garatie she was living in sin and said that was the reason for her mental health issues, according to the statement.
“She sat down and looked at me, and her first question was, ‘Are you a lesbian?’” Garatie wrote in the statement. “Her second question to me was, ‘Have you asked God into your heart? Have you been saved by Jesus Christ?’ This is when I realized that I was no longer a United States veteran in her eyes, I was just a homosexual.”
The session lasted for more than three hours, with Pandithurai citing the Bible and repeatedly telling Garatie she was living in darkness and would be doomed to hell if she didn’t “come back to ‘the light,’” according to the statement.
Pandithurai told Garatie she could change her sexual orientation. Pandithurai also told Garatie homosexuality was a diagnosable condition until President Barack Obama changed that, the statement alleges.
Penny Kerby, a spokeswoman for the VA Medical Center, confirmed that Garatie’s complaint is under investigation.
“VA North Texas Health Care System does not tolerate discrimination on any level and takes any allegation of such behavior seriously,” Kerby said in a statement. “Each employee who interacts with every veteran patient is expected to demonstrate our core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. This allegation is being investigated and if substantiated, appropriate measures will be taken to address the issue.”
Bruce Holter, a spokesman for the Texas Board of Nursing, said the agency doesn’t comment on investigations that are in progress.
The state’s Standards of Nursing Practice prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, Holter said.
According to the board’s website, Pandithurai has been registered as a nurse in Texas since 1993, with no previous disciplinary action against her.
Garatie said she’s not the type of person who would normally try to get someone fired, but she wants to prevent the same thing from happening to other gay veterans — particularly after the recent repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 28, 2011.
As the friend of Esther’s who started the change.org petition, I want to thank Mr. Wright and the Dallas Voice for drawing attention to this incredibly important issue. Esther and all of our veterans, gay or straight, deserve far better than this. Please take the opportunity to sign the petition urging the Dallas VA Medical Center to fire the so-called “mental health professional” who perpetrated this atrocity.
https://www.change.org/petitions/dallas-va-medical-center-fire-homophobic-nurse-for-harassing-lesbian-marine-veteran
After reading this article and Esther’s statement in full, I am THOROUGHLY disgusted with the manner in which an individual, employee of the VA or not, would impose HER personal beliefs where it is not morally or professionally correct to do so!!!! I hope that the VA will stand behind their policy of treating every person that enters into the VA system for assistance with same respect and do something to correct this horrible situation! I stand behind Esther and pray that she will get the help she SO rightfully deserves so she can pursue her goals and dreams the rest of her life with the person she loves. The ignorance has to stop! Knowledge and understanding is powerful!!! Please take that ‘mental health professional” off of the government payroll and hire someone who can be more open minded!!!!
I just wanted to say to Ms. Garatie that I am so sorry she was mistreated this way. I am ashamed that any member of my profession would behave this in such a disgraceful manner. Every NP I know would treat Ms. Garatie with compassion and deference. Nurse Practitioner Pandithurai is not representative of her colleagues. Good luck to you Ms. Garatie. Be well.
I am so sorry that this happened to you. I do hope that you are able to find a competent source of mental health services. The Texas Board of Nursing should discipline this individual SEVERELY.
As a licensed clinical psychologist, and a past employee of the VA, I am disgusted that this NP might still be in practice on the federal payroll. Sadly, it does not surprise me. Although I not heard of any similar occurrences at the West Los Angeles or New Orleans VAMC where I worked, I have seen inappropriate proselytization at many hospitals and nursing homes.
A vet is a vet, regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation. I hope the nurse practitioner is fired and her license either suspended or revoked. Let her God (mine is not a bigot) provide for her.
I am a Marine Corps veteran (Vietnam era)–already signed the petition but want to add some emphasis. I stand with Esther 100%. It’s a damn good thing for Ms. Pandithurai that I wasn’t around when this verbal assault was going on, because her ears would have had blisters the size of baseballs when I got through with her. Her behavior was inexcusable and her attitude needs considerable adjustment. Moreover, what the (mumblety-mumblety) was the rest of the VA staff doing for three hours while this homophobic bigot raged on? Why didn’t someone intervene to shut her up? I completely understand that the person under such a verbal attack–and disabled to boot–can be so shocked that they can’t, immediately, respond forcefully…been there myself. But… nobody noticed? Nobody cared? Religious propaganda of any sort–any religion–has no place in the VA, no place in any medical-patient contact. It is reasonable to ask if someone identifies with religion (since this may change treatment options) but not to propagandize about one’s own. If “do not propagandize” is not in the employee handbook, and given as grounds for termination, it should be.
As Holly Marbeck said “A vet is a vet, regardless of race, color, creed, or sexual orientation.” I am appalled that my tax money paid the salary for such a disrespectful, bigoted, vicious person as Ms. Pandithurai. In addition to firing her, that VA (and probably most VAs) needs to do a staff training on all such issues, making it clear that abusing someone for their sexual orientation and religious propagandizing are both grounds for immediate termination.
Semper Fi
That ingnorant “English Teacher” will never get tenured with his treatment towards LGBT!!!
The VA is already bad enough but as the wife of a veteran and a Texan, I am absolutely disgusted by this bigot’s behavior.
This is apauling!! ANY vet should receive the utmost respect period!! These are the people who put their lives on the line so that we as American’s can have a safer life. And Lincy Pandithurai if you happen to read this, you have NO right to pass jugdement on any one. We will all stand before God someday and that’s when we will answer for the things we’ve done in this life. HE will be the judge not you. The VA system as a whole should make some changes at every VA hospital, so that this never happens to anyone again.
I am currently a employee at the VA hospital in Dallas. I’m also gay and an honorably discharged Air Force veteran. That is one of the many reasons why I try NOT to let the VA do any healthcare for me. They (VA) claims that they track individuals who may access medical records that DO NOT have a reason to be looking at records. I dont trust that as far as i can spit. I suggest that you notify your congressman/woman AND your senator….like i have done and currently waiting on their response! I work around nurses all day. If they have those kind of issues then they need NOT be nurses, NP, PA’s, MD’s, OT, PT, ST…whatever. Dont let em off the hook Ms. Garatie! The things i could say about what goes on at this hospital would read like a soap opera!
Shes sick nothing lost in sending her to the front in afghanistan – where she will find out what its like to be on the receiving end of religious hatred and extremism.
Maybe if she is fired, we can fool the psychopaths of the westboro BAPTIST church into thinking she supported gays. I’m trying to get our community college to let me do the same.
For every time those nut cases show up, gays get further and further along to equality.
As for the troops whose funerals these creeps perish – anyone got a flamethrower, dying of incurable cancer and no family?
To Daine above – this is brought to us by the same people who bullwarked slavery, and created the KKK and segregation. Why btw claim to support life – their smokescreen
My wife just pointed out that the soutehrn baptists are a split off from the old Dutch church – who created arpatheid.
I went for a physical, as I have repeatedly received letters telling me I am at high risk for desert storm syndrome. So I went in for a simple physical, and the doctor told me that I am overweight and that until I lose weight, he wouldn’t even see me. I am 6’4″ and weigh 250 pounds. I could lose 50 pounds and then I would look really skinny, as I have big shoulders and chest. I also worked at the VA as an RN for classes before, and saw first hand the poor treatment. These VA Hospitals are out of control and need to be reigned in.
In two successive years that I had an endoscopy at the Phoenix VA Hospital, the same male nurse who assisted in the procedure included evangelical Christian written material with my discharge instructions. He said he does so with all patients as his gift to them! I find that kind of uninvited proselytizing by a federal employee on US government property appalling, especially targeting sedated patients. Where is the supervision when this guy can freely behave in that manner on a continuing basis?!
I am a Nam vet. When I first got back, I went to the VA for “bad dreams” I was having. I was told to take Darvocet and not think of bad things. These are the professionals that are shipped here to be interns from 3rd world countries….what can you expect! As far as the “Christian” rants of the VA employee, she needs to “sweep her own porch” before she tries to sweep someone elses. Oh yes, the Dr that I had in Montgomery VA had narcolepsy( would fall asleep while talking to me) and not really pay any attention to anything I said. The same rang true in Atlanta…..VERY BAD SERVICE along with VERY BAD EMPLOYEES!! The place was dirty also. Don’t know who inspects these facilities, but they too may be asleep on the job.
@ Katie Murphy–I am a Southern Baptist and I love you in spite of yourself and negative remarks. Your wife also needs to start reading more books without cartoon pictures.
I don’t want this nurse fired. Instead, she should be ordered to additional training and volunteer work with the LGBT community. Love is the answer.
I am angered and sickened to think that a veteran would be subjected to this! Time for this RN t have to go through diversity traning; if she doesn’t wish that, then she needs to be fired. I am a ‘Nam era vet and I am so sorry this happened to you.You may iwsh to look up my name. If there is anything I may do to help you, contact me.
If true this should be taken care of. I am playing devils advocate. I also want to hear the other side of the story. As a 2 time Iraq war vet and 18 years military, I know there is a “my side”, “their side”, and then the truth. After all that is why we serve our country.
Joe, if you read the article carefully, you will see that Nurse Pandithurai was given the opportunity to tell “her side” of the story. She declined to comment. If she disagrees with Esther’s version of events, it seems that this would have been an excellent time for her to come forward and say so. Instead, she chose not to respond. Sometimes silence speaks the loudest.
ok theres always 2 sides to the story….something just doesnt seem right here. these accusations are coming from a person with an admitted psychiatric history, and why would she sit there for hours and listen to that? theres something fishy here and i hope its thoroughly investigated before any actions are taken
ac: When you say “these accusations are coming from a person with an admitted psychiatric history” it sounds as if you think all psychiatric diagnoses result in lying about events. That is not the case. Only a few diagnoses (which this person does not report) include chronic or dramatic falsifications (narcissism, anti-social personality disorder, that group, a few others.) Depression–which is what this person sought treatment for–is not one of those, and depressed persons are not any more likely to lie than anyone else.
A person suffering from depression may, however, be less likely to actively resist verbal and even physical abuse as it is occurring–depression affects energy levels, initiative, the ability to react quickly…the more severe the depression, the more likely it is to affect these things. By the time the person is having thoughts of suicide, depression is certainly at the level where inability to defend against verbal (and even physical) attack could be expected.
Psychiatric diagnoses are not all alike, and you might want to work through the DSM-IV to learn more about them before making such a broad and unfounded assumption as thinking that “a psychiatric diagnosis” creates the presumption of unreliability..
Evangelizing is not professional conduct when on duty. Her license should be revoked- and that male nurse should get at least a write-up and a warning.
As an older nurse, this reminds me of the stupidity of comments I used to hear when we first started getting AIDS patients. In those days they all died. And always, other nurses would ask, “How did they get it?” Or they’d be afraid to go into their rooms. I took it upon myself to educate everyone. Often, they didn’t know better. I’m proud to say, I was able to change the outlook of lots of people.
Nowadays, there is no excuse for any lack of respect or compassion for any patient. Sadly, there are still those who think they must “save” others. This nurse only made things worse. I hope she learned a lesson. If not, she is doomed to repeat this. She has no business working with Vets or patients anywhere for that matter.
Why is this petition needed before official inquiry is completed? Let the system work. I agree this sounds like extreme abuse but refuse to prejudge it. Good nurses (no complaints since 1993) are hard to find. Maybe the answer here is sensitivity training not dismissal; although if the nurse had beat Esther or otherwise physically abused her we’d be calling for her imprisonment. BUT the if true is an American tradition and we need to step back. petitions are for when the system ignores an alleged wrong not for when it is addressing one.
Texas nursing board’s disciplinary action page.
https://www.bon.texas.gov/disciplinaryaction/
Dunno if VA (federal) employees have to state licensure (they should) but here’s one avenue of recourse.
Mike: If the system worked, this wouldn’t have happened. So “letting the system work” means letting the system sweep it under the rug if they want (and many systems do want.) This if not the only incidence of people who come for care being evangelized with no sensitivity–although I find the problem particularly disgusting in the case of military personnel and veterans, it happens in civilian hospitals as well. (Why worse in military and VA hospitals? Because patients often have no other recourse.)
A petition keeps the issue out in the open and is more likely to result in true investigation and action than doing nothing. Even when it doesn’t get the result wanted, it reveals where the resistance to the petitions request are.
@ mike My understanding is all a medical person needs is a license to work at a VA. If you get a licnese we will say from Illinois and you want to work in Georgia, There is no need to get a license from Georgia. Your Illinois license is good as long as it is in good standing with that state. Its kind of an incentive for medical people to work at a VA Hospital.
@ Jessica there is another thing I learned, sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles. There were several times I wanted to jump and down on my CO’s desk but there is a time and place for everything. I am in no way condoning the accusations but again. “he who cast the first stone” jumps into my mind.
Joe, I have to wonder whether you’re saying that Esther should just have sat down and shut up? That’s what it seems to me you’re advocating, and I find that sentiment reprehensible. That a mental health professional did this even a single time to a single veteran is appalling. It is a violation of state law, federal law, and professional ethics. If you’re suggesting that someone who fought for our country should not have picked THIS battle is…distressing. Nobody’s saying that the people who are leading the charge against Nurse Pandithurai are perfect. That’s not in question. What we are saying is that she should never, ever have the opportunity to abuse another veteran in this manner–or any other manner–again. If you think Nurse Pandithurai should be free to continue to violate laws and ethics and treat other Veterans this way, than I’m afraid we will simply have to agree to disagree.
Ma’am,
I guess I didnt make it clear. You made the statement that the nurse should have spoke up when asked to. She probably chose not to. She may have been advised my legal to say nothing. Hints the pick and choose your battles. I also find it hard to believe that no one else jumped in when this badgering occured. I know there are always people within ears shot when I go to the VA for health services. That is done to ensure safety and responsibilty for both the Veteran and the provider. If its not done in dallas, maybe they should look into something like that. All I am saying no one but the two in the incident really knows what happen and jumping into something without knowing all the facts can lead you down a dangerious road. Look at the USS Maine and see what happened there.
I cannot believe that this woman was allowed to speak so unprofessionally to a patient. In such an age I thought that narrow minded views like this were few, but to have nurse Pandithurai speak so out of turn to someone who didn’t even THINK about putting her life on the line for homophobics such as her self is just disgusting. What worse is that there are people supporting this bigot of a “nurse”-
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-Lincy-T-Pandithurai-nurse/129413637165835?sk=wall
End of the day, Esther was there for help, not the preachings of someone worthy of the title “monster”.
To those of you who have your doubts and think there might be something fishy, here is my story. I’m a disabled vet with 100% service connected who use to go to Dallas VA and no doesn’t go near the place, because of how they treat the patients and how bad they are. I am not gay, but I had a nurse practitioner at mental health ask me if I was there because I had a criminal case in court. I let him no that I had never been in trouble with the law, that if he looked at my record he would know why I was there, that he was a lazy irresponsible idiot and that he could shove his stupid questions up his … I also had a psychiatrist tell me that if I prayed and went to church I would feel better. At another clinic a doctor told me that my feeding tube wasn’t placed properly. The problem with that, is that I don’t have a feeding tube I have a shunt that goes from my brain to my stomach. Those are just 2 incidents, so, though I’m enraged by what happened to Esther, it doesn’t surprise me at all. Lots of friends ask me why I go to private doctors instead of to Dallas VA and the reason is that I’m tired of being treated like dirt, getting sub standard care and getting religion shoved down my throat.
I have been using the VA Dallas since 1998. I have no complaints, and feel lucky that I have the VA for my medical needs. This person should be fired, but I don’t think the VA should be lambasted for her. Ya’ll have a nice day.
I’m as appalled as (most) of the commentors are. However, I’m surprised to see some people say they are surprised. It is well established that the military is a hotbed of idiot evangelicals and they are always working to brainwash people in times of stress and personal need. google mikey weinstein to see lots of atrocities he is fighting. And I’ll add for the vet that is a southern baptist trying to defend his cult: Thank you for your service, sincerely. However, you don’t seem to understand how harmful these cults are. Religion is a cancer on the human psyche. Evolve beyond belief..its all a lie. Twain got it right: “Faith is believing what you know aint so”. there is no magic ticket to eternal happiness. Find it here, in this life, and stop giving money to the hate mongerers.
I am an employee at the Dallas VA currently, All mental health exams are done behind closed door out of respect to the veteran. No one would have been able to hear any of the information being said by either parties. Also there is a law (refered to as HIPPA) that prevents anyone with knowledge of patient information to disclose such information. That is probably why the nurse practitioner did not comment. Every violation of this law includes fines.
I too am a gay veteran who also gets care at the Dallas VA. I have to say That I have not faced any discrimination as a patient or an employee at the Dallas VA. I must say that about 95% of my coworkers actually do care and are trying hard to always do the right thing. The unfortunate thing is the 5% left who are always doing the wrong thing. With any organization you have a few few bad apples. I am sorry this veteran had a bad deal. I am even more bothered that relegion was brought into the mix when there is another law that was broken. As a federal employee we are not to pass on our religious beliefs. There is a seperation of church and state as well. Basically what I am trying to say is The Dallas VA is not all bad and is making outstanding strides in improving care to all veterans regardless or status. There is a large gay employee population at the Dallas VA. So please not judge the whole organization for one bad apple.
why did she subject herself to 3 hours of ignorance and intolerance? And why was it that she met with a nurse practitioner and not a social worker or therapist?
The DSM had homosexuality as a diagnosable mental disorder until 1974–NOT until “Obama was elected” — that idiot was a partisan “Christian” who gets there misinformation from the likes of Pat Robertson and Brian Fischer and the like
people of hate and actually anti-Christs
nothing “Christian” about those people
SS4321 said: “why did she subject herself to 3 hours of ignorance and intolerance? And why was it that she met with a nurse practitioner and not a social worker or therapist?”
With all due respect, Esther did not “subject herself” to anything. She was subjected by another person—a mental health professional—to three hours of ignorance and intolerance. That is not to say I don’t understand what you are asking—I get the question. You want to know why Esther did not get up and leave; you’re asking why she would have stayed for three hours of this kind of hateful rhetoric.
To that I say this: Any individual who has ever suffered from truly profound depression (and I mean depression of a clinical variety, not “the blues” that we all get) will know that managing to even ask for help in the first place takes a force of will that most of us cannot begin to comprehend. Putting yourself together enough to tell someone that you’re drowning is incredibly difficult. To borrow an analogy that someone else (I cannot recall who) used, when the person who you asked to throw you a life preserver instead throws you an anvil, you cannot be faulted for drowning.
If a patient walked into a hospital with severe appendicitis and instead of removing their appendix, the doctor shot them in the gut, would you ask the patient why they subjected themselves to a gunshot wound? Esther was suffering, and the person she went to for help exacerbated what was happening instead of offering the requested help. Faulting Esther for “subjecting herself” to anything in this situation comes across as a failure of empathy, although I am sure that is not how it was intended.
Also, with reference to your second question: Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioners are mental health professionals, much like social workers or psychologists. From the Wikipedia entry: “PMHNPs diagnose, conduct therapy, and prescribe medications for patients who have psychiatric disorders, medical mental conditions or substance abuse problems. They are licensed to provide emergency psychiatric services, psychosocial and physical assessment of their patients, treatment plans, and manage patient care. They may also serve as consultants or as educators for families and staff. The PMHNP has a focus on psychiatric diagnosis, including the differential diagnosis of medical disorders with psychiatric symptoms, and on medication treatment for psychiatric disorders.”
I believe the nurse Ms. Pandithurai was doing her job A marine enters a VA Hospital for Mental Issues and this Marine has to seek treatment for severe depression and possible post-traumatic stress disorder — including thoughts of suicide.my Thoughts here did the Marine did get rejected from getting a prescription of drugs so she is retaliating, did she not get the kind of treatment she wanted (to bad) Pain meds are for medical reasons and are addictive taken along with depression meds is just dumb,, depression medications are mind altering, so when the nurse asked her questions that didn’t seem to go this marines way, she the Marine may have fabricated a story to be vengeful these are just my Thoughts and from what I read above a lot of folk will not like em but the Nurse in my mind is innocent here
Active Duty Army, and a Marine since 1984. Raised Southern Baptist in Georgia, but haven’t been to church in a very long time. Why? Because people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw bricks/stones/rocks. Look at your self before judging others. I don’t care if someone is gay, lesbian, homosexual, I just don’t care. There were gays in the military before DADT, after DADT, and there will always be gays. I just don’t care. Please, not all Southern Baptist are bad, not all are good. It’s that way in every demographic, not just religion based. A petition isn’t needed to file a complaint, it gets peoples attention more, and there might not be supervisors trying to cover a employees butt if there is a formal petition. Please Lance Corporal, if you need help, get help, try Military One Source, it’s worked for a number of my fellow Vets, still Active and Non-Active. Will pass on something, don’t give JAs the satisfaction of showing them that they’re getting to you, stay strong, and never foget… “Semper Fidelis”.
i think there are other issues that the vet needs to deal with & realize that one’s lifestyle WILL affect one’s mental state! as someone else has mentioned – maybe she is retaliating because she was not given a ‘drug’ to ‘fix’ her depression (& whatever else is going on). IF these things were said to her by the nurse, then good for the nurse – not only was she doing her job as a nurse to try to treat this individual & see to her physical condition but she cared enough about the patient to introduce her to Jesus Christ, the One & Only that can get her back on her feet & stop living a life of “sin” as a gay. yes folks, this is a “sin”, it WILL send you to hell. God did NOT create Adam & Steve or Eve & Amy. homosexuality IS a sin & if you believe it is natural then you believe the lie of Satan, leading you astray & you will go to hell unless you repent & accept Jesus Christ into your life & turn from your sinful ways. Kudos to the nurse. she should NOT be fired for trying to treat this ungreatful, trouble soul!
Not to put Esther down, but why would anyone stay for a 3-hour unhelpful rant at a place that they went for a specific form of mental counselling? I would have stood up after a few minutes, stated that I felt the nurse had offended me deeply and unprofessionally, did not seem interested in doing her job, and then gone and complained directly to whoever was further up the ladder at the hospital.
natalie: Verbal abuse is not healing. And not everyone who claims to be Christian is really following Christ. You are parroting the phrases of those who hate, not those who love. You are collaborating with haters, with spiters, with people who would–in Jesus’ day–have been cheering on the mob and spitting on him. Jesus did not say verbal abuse was good. Jesus did not say one single word about lesbians (or about homosexuals at all, in case you hadn’t noticed.) Other people did, and have, but Jesus himself–whose words you ought to know a lot better than you know Leviticus or the letters of Paul–Jesus did not. Jesus said not to make a display of your religion. Do not judge others. Do not tell other people how to live their lives (try to get the mote out of their eye) when your own is such a mess (and you have a plank in your own eye.) You are not God. You are not the judge. I recommend that you sit quietly and read the Gospels of Matthew and Mark first (they’re the oldest), word by word, and begin to understand what Jesus’ message really was. Put out of your mind all that trash-talk you’re hearing elsewhere–let that one voice speak to you. Because that’s the only voice that can get YOU back on track and out of the life of sin you’re in: the sin of religious pride, the sin of hatred, the sin of judgment.
Jet: you are failing to consider that depression and PTSD (either or both) are disabling conditions, and one of the common symptoms is inability to react normally to stimuli. With depression, in particular, the individual’s ability to initiate and sustain action is seriously impaired…in severe depression, the victim can be immobilized–unable even to get out of bed, walk a few steps, get something to eat. Moreover, you fail to recognize that verbal abuse–verbal battering–can have the same effect as physical battering, making it impossible for the victim to react as someone else might. Verbal battering creates more depression, more immobility. (I know of a case where severe verbal abuse plus physical trauma from someone else drove a young woman into catatonia: immobile and unresponsive.) The nurse’s reported statements did constitute verbal abuse, and would reasonably suggest to a listener–especially one already suffering from depression–that Ms. Garatie would find no sympathetic ear further up the chain of command. In our culture, particularly, depression is associated with immobilizing guilt and it’s clear that the nurse was guilting Ms. Garatie in her accusations about homosexuality. So basically the nurse was using verbal abuse–verbal battering–to attempt to force Ms. Garatie to take on the nurse’s opinion. Brainwashing, in other words. It is as if someone came in with a broken leg and someone started jumping up and down on it while berating the person for having broken it.
You only think you know what you would do in that situation–because you aren’t in it and you don’t know. You don’t know that you have the same past history; you don’t know if you’ve had any of the same experiences. So bragging about what you would have done is like saying that if someone were jumping up an down on your broken leg, you’d have gotten up and walked away.
To all of you who want to “let the system” work, I also support fact-finding and appropriate discipline (including losing state license to practice). To all of you point out the importance of not letting authorities “sweep this under the rug”, I strongly support your vigilance. To all US veterans, Baptists, and VA staff who have pointed out the incompatibility of the NP’s alleged misconduct, with regulations, and your own deeply held values, I salute you. And for those of you who attack the patient for “not getting up”, etc, you lack the sense or compassion to understand a person self-described as suicidal. If Ms. Garatie had marched out and taken her own life, where would your common sense take you? If “Physican do no harm” is our starting point, defending the aggressive actions of a devout fundamentalist while “on the clock” is like a boat riddled with holes. I can imagine any number of scenarios where coworkers might sit on their hands, including fear of retaliation (I am not making excuses). Enough with public disrespect and religious intolerance. Arrogance is in no short supply. I await the facts as this unfolds.
Dear Natalie,
Your bigotry, your clearly anti-social remarks, and your non-loving ranting (hence non-Christian and ungodly) have earned you an express ticket to hell…as you said clearly: you live in sin.
Enjoy your stay in the eternal inferno. Do not bother sending a postcard…because we don’t care!
Best,
A Decent Human Being
After just now reading this… I am truly disgusted with the nurses behavior. I am a gay infantry combat veteran and I must say that no matter of sexual orientation- every veteran needs to be given the same treatment and respectfully of that. It is absurd that ANYONE at that level would Disrespect a veteran who has placed his/her life on danger for USA’a freedom.. As a veteran- I would expect much better than this! Truly dissapointed with this behavior going on in our VA system. A slap in the hand to that nurse would not be enough. She has far more to learn and simply needs to be terminated of her duty and possibly find a position elsewhere where she would not have to interact with people. Something has to give!
Natalie:
I can not believe that you have the nerves to call being gay a “sin”. I am catholic and have read the bible and it does not say you can’t be gay! You would not understand that this is natural because you are a heterosexual. You have Embaressed yourself greatfully. You can preach all that you want but it is “religious” people as yourself that maybe need to find GOD in your life a little more simply because you are unhappy. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my lord and savior and gays are not living in sin. You are entitled to your opinion but have you stopped and questioned your life… Are you living in sin because you are not perfect? Is gay bashing a sin?? I think so. Either way- if you feel that gays will go to hell then damn… I can’t wait to meet you there!
It’s a shame that professionals make misarable mistakes; the VA should investigate thier staff before bien Hire for it’s the staff making the error of not treating the patient as we deserveand VA Clinics are critized. I’m with you 100% regardless of our own personal feelings. Orrahh SEMPER-FI and thank you for your service as a US Marine.
Juan B. Elizondo Marine veteran