Placed on administrative leave

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hvalenti

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Hello. I work in an emergency room as a clerk. While OFF DUTY last week, I was called by one of my surrogate daughters (age 21), whose sister (age 18) drank herself into an alcoholic coma and would have died if her sibling had not brought her in (medically documented). Their father is an OTR truck driver and was out of state. I am the only person they had to call. I rushed to the ER (where I know everyone). She was intubated, etc. After talking to her older sister (who was in the room with me) we decided to take a few pictures on my cell phone so we could show the patient just what she looked like when she gave up her autonomy - even the ability to breathe on her own, which I did. I spent the night in the ICU with the patient, who was discharged the next day after her blood alcohol level came down and she recovered.

I work nights, Sat/Sun/Mon, each week. While sleeping yesterday, my boss called and left a msg for me to "call him to 'clear some things' before I came in to work at 6pm." I returned his call and he told me I was being placed on administrative leave, refusing to tell me why, saying only that he had to do some "investigation." I had not broken HIPAA, etc., and was very puzzled. He told me I "could find out from HR, but they were not in today." I wound up calling and getting a msg through to the head of HR, who called me back several hours later and told me that I was placed on leave for "taking a picture of a drunk patient."

Say what? I was there as a family member, on my day off. How on earth can they remove me from work for something I did as a private citizen? If they hadn't wanted me to take pictures (there was a nurse, a respiratory therapist, the MD and a tech in the room at the time) all they would have had to do was ask - or at worst, if I refused to stop, do what they do to any unruly family member (I was not unruly) - call security and have them removed. I did not take any photos of the staff.

Is this legal? What rights do I have here? I have yet to hear from my boss. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
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