A nurse who bragged about breaking Covid-19 rules on TikTok has lost her job
An oncology nurse in Oregon who bragged about flouting Covid-19 restrictions in a TikTok video “is no longer employed with Salem Health,” the hospital system confirmed to CNN.
In the video, Ashley Grames can be seen wearing scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck, pretending to scream with a caption that reads, “When my coworkers find out I still travel, don’t wear a mask when I am out, and let my kids have playdates.”
Grames was put on administrative leave after the video, which was posted on November 27, went viral on the video sharing app. It has since been taken down, but continues to circulate through at least one other TikTok user who posted a version to their own account.
The video “displayed cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work,” the hospital said in a statement posted to Facebook shortly after it went viral.
Salem Health would not say whether Grames quit or was fired.
“We do not publicly discuss personnel decisions,” a hospital spokesperson said.
CNN has not been able to reach Grames.
Oregon has been experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases over the past few weeks, setting new record numbers of infections. Marion County, where Salem Health is based, has had some of the highest numbers of cases in the state.
According to the hospital network, it currently has 47 staff members quarantined, and 176 employees out of approximately 5,200 have tested positive for Covid-19.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article contained a reference to a Facebook post. The information has been removed because CNN cannot verify that the account is that of Ashley Grames.