[rnsince83]

Read the witnessed, signed sworn August '03 affidavit of Florida nurse Carla Sauer Iyer, RN, regarding the behavior Michael Schiavo exhibited towards his injured wife as far back as 1993. You can find her statement on www.freerepublic.com or www.worldnetdaily.com.

[smbrn]

I read the sworn statements of this registered nurse as well as the sworn statements of two CNA's who cared for Ms Schiavo who said they were instructed not to do ROM on her, nor were they to put folded washcloths in her hands to prevent contractures, or brush her teeth and do mouth care. They also said that Ms Schiavo was confined to her room for years at the direction of her husband. I had to wonder, who signed off on this care? How many nurses over the years witnessed such willful neglect and said nothing? Are there no reporting requirements in Florida? Ms Schiavo died with severe contractures, recently missing teeth due to decay as well as a bedsore; all signs of serious nursing neglect. Every account I have read stated that the minutest details of her nursing care were dictated by the husband, himself a nurse. (He used money from the malpractice settlement award to attend nursing school after he testified that he wanted to study nursing so that he could care for his wife at home). How many Directors of Nursing knew about this substandard care of this poor woman? Which nurses instructed nurse's aides not to provide the same level of basic care to Ms Schiavo as they would be expected to give to any other patient? The whole thing is stuningly awful.
If people really want to get depressed I suggest going to the ANA's website and reading their position statement on this. Their position can be summed up to say that the legal guardian's wishes reign supreme, even if that guardian demands neglectful nursing care be given. They disingenuously refer to this as an "end of life" issue even though they MUST know that prior to the withdrawal of the enteral nutrition and hydration Ms Schiavo was not at "the end of life"; far from it and that was the problem as far as the husband was concerned. They also state that Ms Schiavo had left prior instruction as to what was to be done, another falsehood. The ANA took aim at the Congress and the President and shook their collective fingers. Funny they love them when they are passing, signing and funding the Nurse Reinvestment Act which has been a financial boon to their precious "Magnet Status" program and their for profit subsidiary, the ANCC. They were happy, though, to have received a letter from Donald Rumsfeld addressing their concerns over what kind of nursing care prisoners in Iraq are getting. Perhaps if poor Ms Schiavo were a convicted terrorist the ANA would have worried about her nursing care, too. But, no. Her crime was to be profoundly disabled and unwanted by her legal guardian and for that she was sentenced to death with the blessings of the ANA.

[rnsince83]

The story goes on--Mr. Schiavo refused to let Terri's family be at her bedside as she lay dying, and refused to let them attend her funeral or know where her ashes are to be scattered. Why? We've heard the phrase "Follow the money." I think this says it all. You are absolutely right to ask about all the nurses (and other medical staff) involved in her care over the years--they all failed morally, ethically, and legally (except the ones who talked and were fired). By the way, I heard only one small mention (only on the radio, not on TV) of the compassionate, caring Christian message of forgiveness from Terri's family at her death--I guess this was just not sensational enough to be newsworthy--or is it just the final judgment of the biased media? We can thank our Heavenly Father Terri is now safe from Michael, her abusive husband. What a standup guy! Incidentally, I wonder how his current "squeeze" is doing.

[Cammer]

Why is this specific case any different from the thousands of similar cases that occur every year across the US?

I have copied a posting here that I made elsewhere on this board -

Back in the early 90's, before Schiavo was a household name, before I was an RN, I was a paramedic and worked for the Pinellas County ambulance service. I transported Terry Schiavo to a local hospital. I only provided care for her for a very short time, and I didn't realize who she was until a year or two had gone by and her plight hit the news. I then remembered her well despite having cared for many other patients in the meantime. The reason that her case stuck in my mind was because my partner and I were both impressed by the devotion that her husband had shown during the trip. It was a nonemergent transport so we allowed him to ride in the patient compartment at his request. During the entire trip he held her hand and spoke with her. Upon arrival at the ER he continued to stay at her side and participate in her care.

This situation showed to me, more than anything else, how caring Michael was for Terry. I cannot see how that could change so radically, as her parents would have us believe.
----
There have been claims and statements of abuse towards Terry made on both sides of the fence. Nothing has been substantiated. The fact that her body remained very healthy after 16 years of bedfastness counts for a lot in my opinion. Christopher Reeves didn't last as long and he was conscious. Consider the sources before passing judgment on anyone.