A North Carolina nursing home has suspended one of its nurses for videos she posted on TikTok that allegedly showed her joking about mistreating residents.
The Citadel at Winston-Salem, a 230-bed facility in Winston-Salem, NC, in late June suspended Kelly Morris after being made aware of the videos, according to its operator, Accordius Health. It was unclear how long Morris is suspended for.
“Our team investigated the content and acted immediately. Misuse and unprofessional use of social media platforms by employees violates our core values and is not tolerated. Any form of resident abuse is never tolerated. Be assured we have handled the situation and reported her actions to all appropriate state and federal agencies,” Accordius Health said in a statement to local media.
“We love our residents; provide for and protect them every day. We are grateful for the global healthcare team that protects the elderly with pride in our profession,” the operator added.
Marks, who has since created a GoFundMe page after being suspended, apologized for the “bad taste jokes” and assured that no resident was harmed or put in danger. Her campaign has raised $305 as of Wednesday.
“I am out of work due to these ‘jokes.’ Second, I still have children that are in my custody as a single mother that still need basic needs,” she wrote on the fundraising site.
In a separate statement, she added that the “only thing hurt in my TikTok videos were people’s feelings.” Her TikTok page has since been deleted.
“All my videos are comedy skits. I can understand how someone can be upset but not to the degree they are taking it. No one was ever harmed and I treat all my patients with great care and they all love me,” she said.
