An American advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) from Illinois who vowed on Twitter she would refuse to prescribe Viagra (sildenafil) to white conservative male patients, resigned from her job the day after her now viral post.
The discriminatory tweet with political overtones came just days after the US Supreme Court handed down its decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which permitted abortions.
The post by Shawna Harris, who specialised in family medicine, attracted more than a dozen visitors to WebMD’s healthcare directory, all of whom gave her a one-star (out of five stars) review after the posting. Among the comments left on the site: “By threatening patients that hold views she is against, she has broken the bond of trust between patient and doctor.” Another visitor voiced: “If you are white and conservative I’d be careful going here because she tweeted she withholds medication based on race and political affiliation. That’s scary.”
Meanwhile, the health system where she worked, Sarah Bush Lincoln in Sullivan, Illinois, in a since-deleted bio listed her rating as 4.8 out of 5 stars. The bio stated she was a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and board certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
The company posted Harris’s apology and resignation on Twitter. “I am deeply sorry for my posts on social media,” she wrote. “I allowed my personal feelings to spill out. Those hateful words are not aligned with how I have provided care to my patients.”
Jerry Esker, the health system’s president and CEO, also stated in the post: “Our mission is to provide exceptional care to all. That means we provide care to everyone regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, income, national origin, cultural personal values, beliefs and preferences.”
Medscape article – Nurse who won't give Viagra to white conservative men resigns (Open access)
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Roe vs Wade: US abortion rights’ ruling could hurt women worldwide
Political, not legal, threat from US abortion row
Conservatives understand ‘meaning of life’ better than liberals