A nurse who has been suspended for 'mocking' patients on TikTok has spoken out to say the clips were 'comedy skits' and insists she's done nothing wrong.
Kelly Morris worked at nursing facility The Citadel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but has been suspended after she was accused of making fun of patients, some of whom were critically ill.
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In numerous videos, posted to an account which since appears to have been removed, Morris made jokes about unplugging patient's ventilators so she could plug in her phone charger, and giving patients extra sleeping pills so she didn't have to spend time looking after them.
In a statement to local news outlet WXII, Morris said: "The only thing hurt in my TikTok videos were people's feelings.
"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."
However, the daughter of one of Morris' patients is less than impressed with the statement given by the nurse.
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Whitley Pattterson, whose mum passed away at the nursing home, told WXII: "Everybody knows that's not a joke.
"If you want to play, that's not the profession or the field you need to be in.
"If you want to play, you need to play with some children.
"Don't play with people's lives. Play outside of the clock."
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The nursing home's parent company Accordius Health said in a statement: "The Citadel at Winston-Salem was made aware of TikTok videos by an employee last week.
"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."
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The statement continued: "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."
Morris has since launched a GoFundMe in which she's asking for donations so she can cover the cost of 'attorney fees to fight back against hate and bullying'.Featured Image Credit: Instagram