Nurse Fired for Her Memoir: "Prison Environment"
Pam Strayer, AllHealthCare
March 05, 2008
Cleveland Clinic cardiac operating room nurse Adrienne Zurub was fired Jan. 22, two weeks after self-publishing “Notes from the Mothership,” a memoir about her 26 years of experience at the world-famous heart clinic.
Zurub, quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, says she was fired after hospital administrators read her descriptions likening the clinic to a “prison environment” where nurses have to survive by making alliances with powerful friends – surgeons – who can protect them from the hospital’s hierarchy.
In her book, Zurub writes, “I have observed angry, uncontrolled behavior from so-called educated people that on the street would get them arrested, beat up or shot. But that culture was/is considered part of the culture of this environment, a culture of impunity, and thus covered up or taken care of internally or generally tolerated.”
Like other medical kiss and tell books, Zurub is critical of out of control physicians, calling one in particular an “arrogant, misogynistic, dehumanizing yet brilliantly talented bastard.” Doctors routinely were verbally abusively toward nurses, she says.
Zurub says her book protects patient and staff privacy because she names no names. However, others say it is easy to identify the clinic’s CEO as Zurub’s “the emperor.”
Zurub self published her book. The first 1,000 copies sold out on Amazon; a second printing has been ordered.
Zurub is clear to state the book is not primarily about the Cleveland Clinic. She also is not critical of the quality of patient care the clinic, the top-rated cardiac facility in the country, according to U. S. News and Business Report’s annual rankings, delivers to patients.
Quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, she says, “If you had to go anywhere in the world for your heart surgery, you better come to the Clinic,” she said. “I am very proud of my work there and the work I have seen there.”
However, now that she has been fired, she is planning to write a book that is focused on her 26 years at the Cleveland Clinic.
More: Support Group on NursingLink for Adrienne Zurub
kstiltner1
3 months ago
4768 comments
Good for her. I can't wait to read her book. I know how she feels. Most hospitals are like that.
loritrow
6 months ago
6 comments
I've been there as a [out of state] organ for transplant procurement nurse, and it is certainly different at CCF. However I also lost a job for revealing some ethical concerns within my company. I have seriously pondered whether to start writing about it. This gives me a spark. If I wrote the book with info I have there may be an article on 60 minutes about it. Sad as it is there are impropers acts which are overlooked, and people losing their job for no reason, in Indiana it is a no fault state. You can be fired for any reason whatsoever. Sucks, but I left with a lot of improprieties which infuriate me daily. More nurses need to expose these dramas, and more importantly the Board of Nursing needs to be fair and advocate for all of us.
AbusyRN2go
8 months ago
6144 comments
You go girl, don't let them keep you down!
mamalovern
8 months ago
2 comments
Adrienne, I am an RN as well. The medical profession does indeed have a mean environment and upper management is political, hateful and very abusive. If they were to talk to people like that out there on the street, they'd get beat up, or shot for sure!! Why isn't there any more protection for us nurses on these jobs????? How can you survive for 26 yrs in such an environment????? What else can be done to better working conditions!!! Hats off to you for standing up for what you believe in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
julie_miller
8 months ago
16 comments
way to stand up for yourself and the nursing community
Done
9 months ago
370 comments
KKRN stated "So stand up for your self and lets start making change and remeber from nursing school and your abuse training NO ONE deserves to be treated this way. " you are so right.- Don't know if its my position within the OR team or fact I am male, but I have confronted numerous surgeons for their behavior and have always done so in a professional manner and have gained their respect and stopped their behavior- at least while I'm present in the OR.
Luanna1Love
9 months ago
54 comments
I have nothing but praise for the way you handled most of your descriptions... that the Ceo could be picked out easily says more about his conduct than you not protecting his privacy. I myself have felt shut out by the medical profession... who will not hire light duty even in a critical nursing shortage. 24 years to the nursing profession and hurt in the line of duty. Shut out of anything but actual prison nursing and private duty. It is for the best., I am sure. The universe works in mysterious ways. You will survive this. It is another world in the hospital and left unchecked they will get fairly scary .... that is why they have hospital regulatory boards and brave nurses. I wish you well!
china40
9 months ago
6 comments
I have heard horror stories as well as seeing and talking to doctors and nurses the last 20 years of me having to be there for my mother care as well as my self having to receive medical care the stress,caring,long hours,tired,sleep deprived etcc yet I am just a few months from graduating from nursing school still did not steer me away from that career because I love helping people and I want people who have been or are sick to feel comfort and care I will give to anyone who needs it or want it they are not alone.
nursingaround
9 months ago
28 comments
I've finished my book, but it's about nursing in various hospitals in different countries, and looks at problems from people to system wide problems. Hopefully by not concentrating on specific people or places, but situations, I won't be sued.
mslolo
9 months ago
4 comments
Well, I am not a nurse but a nurse assistant and I agree. I hear the nurses talk and the and I hear the doctors, and I must say some of the nursing I work with can be very rude as well. I guess its like a domino effect , step on the one who is below you which is so sad for us as a human beings.
rentalnurse
9 months ago
4 comments
Just got my contract as a travel nurse cancelled because of my "attitude" my company laughed. Think it was because i spoke up to a doctor (surgeon) It seems in Tulsa that you dont say anything contridictory to the docs or express your opinion about pt care to them. I have been DNR from a hosp in Balt because i told the nursing office not to send me back to a floor since it was unsafe and was risking my license there. Was a teaching hosp and new residents were idiots, ordering wrong doses for patients and not answering pages about change in condition of their patients. I've been told at some lg hospitals that nurses 'are dispensible" no wonder there is a shortage
MAMADAWN
9 months ago
720 comments
Go Girl!
vickielee1970
9 months ago
604 comments
I would love to see nursinglink offer the link to buy this book. I want it, think my next page to surf to is Amazon.com to buy it. Sounds well worth the read.
AmyAJ
9 months ago
130 comments
Interesting article.
tacqua
9 months ago
270 comments
God's got your back and all is well.