Oregon Health Nurse on ‘Administrative Leave’ After Tiktok About Not Wearing Masks or Social Distancing

In late November 2020, stories appeared about a viral TikTok video by account @Loveiskind05 leading to a nurse at Oregon’s Salem Health being placed on administrative leave:

Although the TikTok video (and apparently, the entire account) for user @Loveiskind05 has since been deleted, the footage survived in widely-viewed reposts. Another account, @amandabutcher2, shared the clip, adding “Imagine being an oncology nurse during a pandemic and bragging about not taking precautions” on her side of the video:

@amandabutcher2To each their own, but why would you brag about it to others? ????????‍♀️ I guess we could ask Loveiskind05 ##nurse ##covid ##health ##pandemic ##fyp ##foryou♬ original sound – Amanda Butcher

That same account shared a different TikTok video featuring the same nurse in the same blue scrubs, writing “Lol she talks about how it sucks being a nurse during this pandemic but made another post about how she doesnt social distance, wear masks and lets her [kids] have play dates”:

@amandabutcher2##duet with @loveiskind05 the post I’m talking about is on my page. ##covid ##nurse ##fyp ##foryou ##trend♬ White Walls (feat. ScHoolboy Q & Hollis) – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

A November 29 2020 BuzzFeed article about the controversy included additional information from Salem Health:

A spokesperson for Salem Health told BuzzFeed News on [November 29 2020] that the nurse’s name was Ashley Grames and that she worked in the oncology department.

Heavy.com described the original video:

In the clip, [Ashley] Grames was wearing her hospital scrubs and had a stethoscope draped around her neck. The caption on the screen reads, “When my coworkers find out I still travel, don’t wear a mask when I’m out and let my kids have play dates.”

The audio in the TikTok video is from the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Grames lip-synched to the scene in which the Grinch reveals himself to Cindy Lou Who, seeming to compare herself to the Grinch. The audio includes a few seconds of Cindy Lou Who’s character screaming in fear while the Grinch mockingly yells in response.

Later in their reporting, Heavy.com added:

According to the Oregon State Board of Nursing, Grames has been working in the health care field for at least a decade. Online records show Grames became a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in October 2010.

As of July 2015, she had become a Registered Nurse (RN). Her current license was scheduled to expire in May 2021.

Grames’ official record did not include any disciplinary actions as of this writing, according to the State Board of Nursing.

On the afternoon of November 28 2020, Salem Health addressed the viral video on Facebook:

[On November 27 2020], a nurse employed with Salem Health posted a video on social media which displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work. This video has prompted an outcry from concerned community members. We want to thank those of you who brought this to our attention and assure you that we are taking this very seriously. This individual does not speak for Salem Health and has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation.

We also want to assure you that this one careless statement does not reflect the position of Salem Health or the hardworking and dedicated caregivers who work here.

Salem Health believes we all need to do our part to protect the vulnerable and stop the rapid spread of COVID-19. This includes requiring staff, patients and visitors to follow guidance from the CDC and others about mask wearing and social distancing. The COVID pandemic is serious and requires a serious response. And at Salem Health we are very serious about our approach to COVID.

As of November 30 2020, the @Loveiskind05 account remained inaccessible and Salem Health has not yet provided any further updates. However, the video and its outcome were accurately reported.