TikTok Video Mocking Masks Goes Viral, Oregon Nurse Placed On Leave

An Oregon nurse with Salem Health has been placed on leave after posting a TikTok video where she admits to not following COVID-19 safety guidelines while off-duty.

Salem Health, which operates Salem Health Hospital, has seen almost 1,000 fatalities since the start of the pandemic, the New York Times reported. Like other parts of the country, the conditions are likely to worsen after the holiday season.

The video itself shows the unidentified oncology nurse wearing scrubs and a stethoscope over audio from the movie “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.”

“When my co-workers and I still travel, don’t wear masks when I am out and let my kids have play dates,” the caption reads.

The nurse quickly deleted the video after it went viral. However, users still reposted it in duet format or preserving it with third-party apps.

Salem Health responded on Saturday with a Facebook post announcing the nurse had been placed on administrative leave for violating company practices.

“This individual does not speak for Salem Health and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation,” the statement read. It also noted that the nurse “displayed cavalier disregard” for the pandemic.

The nurse declined an interview with KPTV, a Fox affiliate in Portland. She also would not comment when reached out to by the Times.

Many in the comment section of Salem Health’s statement felt that paid administrative leave was too lenient a punishment and demanded that she be fired immediately.

“Paid leave so she can travel some more and put patients at even more risk when she returns,” one comment read.

“No investigation needed. The video supplied should be evidence enough. She needs to be fired. Not on paid leave,” another comment read. “As someone fighting cancer, I can only imagine how her patients feel after seeing this news. You need to take responsibility by firing her, not putting her on paid leave.”