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Nurse refuses to give CPR after an elderly woman collapsed at a retirement home in Southern California, it was reported.
Authorities said an elderly woman who collapsed at a retirement home later died after a nurse refused to perform CPR on her.
“Is there anybody there that’s willing to help this lady and not let her die?” a dispatcher in the 911 asked. “Not at this time,” the nurse replied, reported ABC News.
The nurse said that policy at Glenwood Gardens, located in Bakersfield, Calif., did not allow her to perform CPR.
The woman was identified as 87-year-old Lorraine Bayless, who collapsed on Tuesday, and a staff member later called 911. KGET-TV reported that she died later at Mercy Hospital Southwest.
Bakersfield fire dispatcher Tracey Halvorson pleaded with a nurse to perform CPR, saying it was needed to be done until an ambulance arrived, according to a recording that was posted by the Bakersfield Fire Department obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
“I understand if your facility is not willing to do that,” Halvorson told the nurse, according to the Times. “Give the phone to that passerby, that stranger…this woman’s not breathing enough.”
She added: “She’s going to die if we don’t get this started.… I don’t understand why you’re not willing to help this patient.”
Later, in the recording, the nurse said, “She’s yelling at me,” referring to Halvorson, “and saying we have to have one of our residents perform CPR. I’m feeling stressed, and I’m not going to do that, make that call.”
Glenwood Gardens executive director Jeffrey Toomer told KGET-TV: “In the event of a health emergency at this independent living community our practice is to immediately call emergency medical personnel for assistance and to wait with the individual needing attention until such personnel arrives.”
He added, “That is the protocol we followed. As with any incident involving a resident, we will conduct a thorough internal review of this matter, but we have no further comments at this time.”
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