The Oregon Nurse Who Bragged On TikTok About Breaking COVID-19 Restrictions Has Agreed To Stop Practicing

After Ashley Grames posted a TikTok saying she wasn't wearing a mask outside, she signed an agreement to stop practicing as a nurse and was no longer employed with her hospital.

A screenshot from a TikTok video shows a nurse smiling in blue scrubs and a stethoscope with a caption reading "when my coworkers find out I still travel, don't wear a mask when I am out, and let my kids have playdates"

An Oregon nurse who went viral after posting a TikTok suggesting she was flouting COVID-19 restrictions is no longer employed with her hospital and is prohibited from practicing as a nurse until further notice by the state's nursing board.

On Monday, Ashley Grames, who was an oncology nurse at Salem Health until recently, agreed not to practice until further order by the Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN), according to a copy of the agreement provided to BuzzFeed News.

Grames signed an "Interim Order by Consent" that prohibits her from practicing as a registered nurse or functioning as a caregiver in any capacity for an unspecified amount of time.

Such an order is not considered discipline, but it is a binding document "signed voluntarily" by the nurse, an OSBN spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

The order will remain in effect until the state's nursing board votes to vacate it and either takes disciplinary action against Grames or allows her to practice nursing again.

On Monday, Grames was no longer employed with Salem Health, a hospital spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

She was placed on administrative leave on Nov. 28 after people online alerted the hospital about her now-deleted TikTok video in which she bragged about traveling during the coronavirus pandemic and not wearing a mask outside.

Grames, who went by the username @Loveiskind05, posted the video of herself wearing scrubs and a stethoscope with the caption, "When my coworkers find out I still travel, don't wear a mask when I'm out and let my kids have play dates."

A duet of the video from another TikTok user criticizing the nurse remained online after the original was deleted.

@amandabutcher2

To 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

The hospital was investigating the incident, saying that the nurse's video showed a "cavalier disregard for the seriousness of this pandemic and her indifference towards physical distancing and masking outside of work."

In response to BuzzFeed News' question about the status of the investigation on Monday, a spokesperson said, "The nurse in question is no longer employed with Salem Health."

The spokesperson declined to clarify if Grames had been fired or if she had quit, saying, "We do not publicly discuss personnel decisions."

Her video prompted outrage, and several people called for the nurse to be fired for her actions during a pandemic that has killed more than 280,000 Americans.

Grames could not be reached for comment.

Topics in this article

Skip to footer