Oregon Nurse Brags About Flouting COVID-19 Guidelines On TikTok, Placed On Administrative Leave

An oncology nurse in Salem, Oregon, was placed on administrative leave after she posted a TikTok video implying how she was eluding COVID-19 safety measures.

In the now-deleted TikTok video, the nurse was seen wearing scrubs and a stethoscope, lip-syncing to a song from the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

The caption under the video, posted from the handle @Loveiskind05, read, "When my coworkers find out I still travel, don't wear a mask when I'm out and let my kids have play dates."

Even though the video in itself wasn’t harmful, the caption created a furor as it disrespected the significance of the guidelines put forward for fighting the global pandemic.

The video and the account were immediately deleted, but a duet video by a TikTok user criticizing the nurse is available on social media platforms.

A spokesperson from Salem Health identified the nurse as Ashley Grames, who worked in the oncology department, BuzzFeed News reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had clearly stated guidelines requesting citizens to wear a mask when in public places, follow social distancing, and reduce travel.

Netizens believe the woman’s action showed less or no regard to these guidelines as she bragged about how she does not follow any of these rules.

Following the outcry, Salem Health announced through a Facebook post-Saturday that the nurse has been placed on administrative leave.

"We want to thank those of you who brought this to our attention and assure you that we are taking this very seriously," the Facebook post read. "This individual does not speak for Salem Health and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation."

The post continued to explain the seriousness of the pandemic and how every individual should take measures to fight its spread.

Many users responded to the Facebook post, expressing their disapproval about the hospital’s decision of sending the nurse on leave instead of firing her.

"I’m absolutely disgusted by this employee," a user commented to the Facebook post. "I truly would NOT trust her to care for anyone," the user wrote.

"Who would ever go to a Hospital where their nurses don't understand basic public health protocols," another user wrote.

The hospital has been facing repercussions as social media users have been degrading the organization with one-star reviews on Google, King5 reported.

About 91 employees in the Salem Hospital are currently working with COVID-19 related cases, the state’s weekly report stated.

Currently, there are 13,759,608 COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to Worldometers. At least 273,077 have died from the virus in the country so far.