Intensive care unit nurses at Columbus, Ohio-based Mount Carmel West hospital reportedly questioned some medication orders from William Husel, MD, the physician accused of ordering excessive painkiller doses for at least 34 near-death hospital patients, one former nurse told NBC4.
Mount Carmel said Dr. Husel ordered excessive doses of painkillers for at least 34 near-death patients in intensive care. The doses were likely fatal in 28 of those cases, hospital officials said. Upon learning of the medication incidents, Mount Carmel fired Dr. Husel and sent details of its internal investigation to authorities.
"Anytime I heard anybody ask him about it, he would give them an explanation," said the nurse, who asked to remain anonymous. "He was our expert. He knew more than any of us about how the drugs work and all that."
The unnamed nurse said Dr. Husel was often the only physician working the overnight shift in the hospital's ICU and that the physician served as a mentor to colleagues.
"If you're ever concerned about something with your patient, he would take the time to explain things to you if you had questions," the nurse told NBC4. "He would sit down if there was some slow times and he would talk to you about why we treat certain things, certain ways — just background stuff you didn't really need to know for your job but would help kind of explain why you're doing what you're doing."
Dr. Husel and Mount Carmel face 16 wrongful death lawsuits. There is an ongoing criminal investigation, and no charges have been filed so far. The nurse who talked with NBC4 has not been named in any wrongful death lawsuits, but he said many of his former nursing colleagues were named.
Mount Carmel declined to comment on individual cases.