The nurse did rounds with her employer, a psychiatrist, at the hospital, sat in on therapy sessions with patients and took notes, and saw his patients herself to administer and monitor their medications.

   The nurse knew the psychiatrist had struck up a personal and sexual relationship with at least one female patient which lasted more than four years. Two other patients were the ones who actually sued the psychiatrist and the nurse. The nurse did not know directly the psychiatrist was at the same time also abusing these two patients, but that did not make any difference to the Court of Appeals of Minnesota.

   The court ruled the nurse understood correctly it was her duty under the law to report a physician who physically, emotionally, verbally or sexually abused a vulnerable adult patient. The nurse was not correct, however, according to the court, in believing that a "vulnerable adult," as defined by law, is one who is receiving inpatient mental health treatment.

   The court stated that "vulnerable" means an adult who is unlikely or unable to report abuse. A patient in therapy for mental illness is by law a vulnerable patient. This is especially true for a patient with multiple personalities. A therapist, as this psychiatrist had done, can call up one of the patient’s personalities, abuse the person as that personality, intimidate or deceive that personality to remain silent, then summon back another personality before ending the session, the court pointed out.