Q: Treatment of patient from home.
I am a nurse practitioner and had a patient who was in some serious pain. It was my day off but I allowed her to come to my home and I gave her what is known as "trigger point injections." This was performed with lidocaine and bupivicaine. This is a treatment that I performed for my mother years before I was even a registered nurse. The treatment I gave the patient allowed her the opportunity to make it until the office reopened when she could go to the office and be treated. I noted that under Illinois Nursing practice act, I am allowed to treat patients within my scope, but would this fall under the "good Samaritan" type law? This was not a risky procedure.
Also, my employer and I had a discussion a few weeks earlier where she told me that she had, on occasion, treated people at her home bc she felt bad that they were in pain. I have been fired and denied unemployment because of this. I only have 2 days left to file my appeal. Thank you in advance.
M---
A:
Your question hasn't been picked up in a month, and it may be because it was posted in the Medical Malpractice section. At this point, the appeals period you mention may very well have elapsed. Contact an employment attorney in Illinois, and additionally try reposting your question in the Employment Law section. Some attorneys might offer a free initial consultation. It appears you acted in good faith, compassionately with the interests of a patient in mind, without personal gain, and in the capacity of a qualified practitioner. Hopefully an experienced employment attorney might be able to provide meaningful guidance.
Tim Akpinar
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