A Florida nurse who stated that he would not “perform anesthesia” for any patients who were “MAGA” supporters decided to give up his license, which is ultimately a move that is going to save lives. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier took to social media platform X and said, “Effective today, Erik Martindale is no longer a registered nurse in Florida.”
“Healthcare is not contingent on political beliefs, and we have zero tolerance for partisans who put politics above their ethical duty to treat patients with the respect and dignity they deserve,” he continued in his post. In a post on social media that has since been taken down, Martindale wrote, “I will not perform anesthesia for any surgeries or procedures for MAGA.”
“It is my right, it is my ethical oath, and I stand behind my education. I own all of my businesses and I can refuse anyone!” he added. Once his post had been discovered, Martindale attempted to backpedal by saying that someone hacked into his Facebook account and made the post. A high-ranking state official close to the situation confirmed Martindale relinquished his license.
The official revealed that Martindale broke the compact agreement by moving out of the state of Florida without notifying the Florida Board of Nursing. The portal that once showed the nurse’s license number and license verification on the Florida Department of Health’s official website states that he voluntarily gave up his license. The website then stressed that a voluntary surrender of a nurse’s license “does not constitute discipline,” according to Fox News.
Martindale is not the first nurse to land in hot water and torpedo their careers in the medical field by making threats against MAGA supporters. Another Florida nurse, Lexie Lawler, a former labor and delivery nurse working at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, was booted from her position after she published a video wishing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt permanent harm during the birth of her second child.
In the video, Lawler said, “As a labor and delivery nurse, it gives me great joy to wish Karoline Leavitt a fourth-degree tear.” Along with Lawler, another nurse received a pink slip after she posted a series of videos on social media making references to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her employer, VCU Health, issued a statement saying the videos were “highly inappropriate.”
VCU Health also stated that the remarks did not reflect the standards of the institution, saying, “We prioritize the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care.” A social media user commented on a Facebook post about the story, saying, “Imagine how many others there are who have not said it out loud. Very scary.”
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Another user asked, “I guess my question would be how would he know how you voted?” Someone else pointed out the harsh reality about freedom of speech, saying, “Another lesson on free speech. Yes, Americans have the right to freedom of speech. NO, we absolutely DO NOT have freedom from the CONSEQUENCES of what we say, so there’s that.”
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