Some pranks are not taken as "pranks".

why obvious? Good possibility, yes, but not obvious.

My condolences to her family.

Fate is crazy--we don't know but that she might have even had a heart attack or a stroke, or been murdered by someone she knew. One of my doctor's nurses had a heart attack, while working at his clinic.

We just don't know.

those DJs should be charged. Austrailia extradites to England.

Could have been a cobra bite or bad shellfish or an intruder with a needle full of strychnine.

If you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras.

This is a sad, sad event, all triggered by the greed of today's media for a story. Now, watch how the media will further exploit this tragic loss of life into a soap opera of ongoing news headlines and commentaries.

Killian, easy to say from the comfort of your chair - not hosed in public from sea to shining sea.

We don't know the nurse. She was simply going about her job and apparently was well respected, liked and admired. In the past few days - she has been the butt of jokes by anyone and everyone - now known as 'that nurse who gave the update. Pehaps she looked at her action as supreme failure. You and I do not know. No one likes to be 'punked' - don't care who you are. For a people who love their monarchy and especially this couple - to be punked so publicly and with laughed at with such relish - apparently may have been the tipping point for this nurse. She was doing her job. Not cool. Never was cool. Out there for all to see.

Mom always said for every action there will be a reaction...make sure it is the one you are looking for. No humor here - never thought there was.

That is my suspicion too...the poor nurse. She must have felt so badly. I am so sorry if this turns out to be true.

Okay, it was a childish prank, but who could possibly have predicted suicide? Did the nurse really take it that hard? Was her job threatened or was she herself threatened by someone? Or was the embarrassment really that great? The DJs called as a joke and said they never expected to get through. This is really a tragedy.

Tragic

Wait until they rule it a suicide before you start guessing. I'm not sure how old she was. Maybe she was worked up and had a heart attack.

Check 2Day FM's facebook page. They're getting lambasted from all over the globe.

If this poor nurse did indeed kill herself, as we can all assume it would have been over the prank call from the Aussies... what's to happen then to those 2 dj's? A murder charge? I don't believe they in any way intended any harm by doing what they did, but it was it much bad taste.

We won't know until the autopsy what exactly happened - as many mentioned she could've had a heart attack, maybe even brought on by the stress of the situation. I don't recall anyone mentioning how old she was, so who knows?

I just hope her family is coping well with their loss. What a tragedy.

Wait until they rule it a suicide before you start guessing. I'm not sure how old she was. Maybe she was worked up and had a heart attack.

Other news outlets are reporting this as a suicide. Perhaps that will change later, but I think at this point it's a safe assumption to make that she killed herself. Horrible story either way.

Think of the position the nurse was put it: if it had been the Queen, how could she question the validity? I can't imagine the nurse saying, "Prove to me you're really the Queen before I give you any information." It's an impossible position. Now also think how Kate is going to feel, knowing that a nurse who cared for her is dead, likely (but not yet proven) of a suicide because she was duped into compromising the confidentiality of her royal patient. Yes, it can initially seem like innocent fun on the part of the DJs, but pranks often entail risks. It's likely their prank ended it a terrible tragedy.

This falls under 'unintended consequences'. Very sad and tragic for everyone. It does seem likely it was suicide, according to what I hear now. People need to consider the possible ramifications of their actions. Of course the djs didn't want this to happen, but sometimes an action causes reaction that is deadly.

Not knowing the laws in the UK or Australia, all we can really do is guess (unless someone is a UK/Aussie lawyer). But I think in this country if you do something that leads to a death you might be charged with manslaughter, involuntary type. If I were the owner of the Aussie radio station I would be firing these two yahoos. Also in this country the nurse could have been hit with an ethics violation of HIPPA -

Isn't impersonating royalty a serious crime? In this case, I would say prosecution to the fullest extent of the law is in order. As ridiculous as taking one's own life because one was spoofed may be, having to live with the dishonor of sharing such a sacred piece of information...one that Kate and William probably had planned on keeping confidential until an ideal time...might be too much to bear.

The nurse's mistake was inadvertent. She was deceived. The DJs' mistake was deliberate and cruel.

Now, what if the DJs commit suicide because the nurse committed suicide?? (Will we all then have to commit suicide?)

If those DJs "never expected to be put through" as they say, then why did they proceed with this prank call? Why didn't they apologize and hang-up? And, making prank calls to a hospital, which has more important things to do than handle pranks that a 10 year old child would make. Really? This was meant to be funny? How? Of course this young woman committed suicide. And, how does anyone know what her emotional condition was. Maybe she was a fragile person, or at a difficult time in her life when something so humiliating just pushed her over the edge. Disgraceful. Those DJ's were intruding into a private matter, regardless of the Duchess's public persona. No one should have their medical information intruded upon. There are privacy laws regarding medical records. And no one should "use" another person without their knowledge in such a stupid and illegal prank. I wonder how these two would like it the results of her pelvic exams or his prostate exams were revealed and discussed the world over. Even without the resulting suicide and waste of a young, productive life, these two jerks should be fired and fined.

I do not know whether this was suicide or not. I have a hard time believing that someone would kill themselves over something like this. I know that the Brits are very sensitive when it comes to the royals, but I still can not see it. After all, Kate and William did not seem to be at all upset with the nurse, only with the DJs. After listening to the recording of the prank call I do find it hard to believe that someone would have fallen for such obviously poor imitations of the queen and prince Charles. I am sure that the nurse was getting a bit of good natured ribbing from her coworkers but I seriously doubt that the hospital was going to take any action against her, particularly since Kate and William do not appear to have been pushing for any action to be taken. I hope this turns not to be a suicide because I would hate to think that someone killed themselves over a stupid prank like this. Unfortunately, even if it was a suicide there is no way that there could be any action taken against the DJs for it. About the only thing they might be guilty of is invasion of privacy or possibly criminal impersonation since the impersonation was done with the intent of committing a crime to illegally obtain protected information. Whether or not Australia would extradite them is also a question, although I would assume they would if the Brits decide to pursue charges. My guess is that if this turns out to be a suicide there will be a lot of public pressure on the Crown Prosecutor's office (the Brits equivalent of a district attorney) to bring charges.

What is it about getting a job as a DJ that turns ordinary people into such @$$holes?

Killian Jones

Wait until they rule it a suicide before you start guessing. I'm not sure how old she was. Maybe she was worked up and had a heart attack.

Other news outlets are reporting this as a suicide. Perhaps that will change later, but I think at this point it's a safe assumption to make that she killed herself. Horrible story either way.

And do you believe everything the media tells you? Better to wait what the offical report says and not go off of what the media says as they always jump to conclusions before an offical report is stated in any case or situation.

Killian, easy to say from the comfort of your chair - not hosed in public from sea to shining sea.

This would have been forgotten about in a week. Public humiliation is no reason to end your life.

Ha ha... Yeah, that was a real funny joke. It was more than public humiliation. She very likely was facing the loss of her job for giving out very private information. BIG no no in healthcare. Yes, she may have reacted to this differently than most people would, but that's the thing about pranks. You NEVER know how people will react, and bad things can happen that you never intend or imagine. To paraphrase Bob Costas' logic, "If they wouldn't have played that fun little prank, that nurse would likely still be alive."

worldwide public humiliation can certainly cause deep depression;

and deep depression can be as cause a person to want to end his/her life;

very sad, indeed.

Boy or girl they should name it Jacintha.

Those DJ's should be sued for something too.

It was ruled as a suicide and she was 46. Those DJ's should be ashamed of themselves. Totally a form a bullying. These days bullying is no joke no matter what you do. I am appalled that they broadcasted this over the web and thought it was funny. Karma is a bitch and they will get theirs!

If we're going into conjecture, I think it was a male family member. One of those 'honor killings.'

That or Aliens.

Or maybe 007. She did embarrass the Crown.

In other words, instead of jumping to conclusions, maybe we should wait until the autopsy.

Killian Jones

This would have been forgotten about in a week. Public humiliation is no reason to end your life.

You're right, it isn't, but the problem with pranks is that you never know what pressures the victim may be under or what their state of mind may be. Perhaps in her mind, her reputation on her job was all she felt she had and she believed that had been damaged or ruined. For all the DJs knew, she may have been under a great deal of strain for whatever reason and this was just the final straw for her. If she committed suicide, they can't be condemned for being the direct reason for her death, however they will have to face the fact that they contributed.

Let's wait to find out the cause of death. If it was suicide, she may have left a note. Sad case, just the same.

I think it is time to put an end of this "royal family" BS. The constant fuss and fiasco about them is really pretty sad and pitiful. First, the pictures of Kate naked, sunning at a private estate, and now this.

These people are no different than the rest of us and are just born into this situation. Now, possibly, someone is dead because of it. I know they create millions of dollars (pounds) for the country because of tourism and special events, but it is really time to phase this institution out.

@Bill From Corvallis, unfortunately, it is now being widely reported that it was indeed a suicide. While there was a chance it was something else, it did seem like the most probable cause so globadyne was right.

I am sure that the nurse was getting a bit of good natured ribbing from her coworkers but I seriously doubt that the hospital was going to take any action against her, particularly since Kate and William do not appear to have been pushing for any action to be taken.

I don't know how "good natured" the ribbing would have been. The hospital apparently takes its responsibility very seriously.

A spokesman for St James's Palace told MailOnline that it was a 'matter for the hospital'.

The prank call will be deeply embarrassing for the King Edward VII Hospital, which is the medical institution of choice for the Royal Family.

The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and Duchess of Cornwall have all been treated at the institution over the years.

William is likely to be angered by the intrusion into his wife's health, despite the call having a humorous rather than sinister motive.

Chief executive Mr Lofthouse added: 'We take patient confidentiality extremely seriously and we are now reviewing our telephone protocols.'

And a hospital source told MailOnline: 'There were some very sick people on Kate's ward and prank calls in the early hours of the morning are not appreciated.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2243315/Kate-Middleton-pregnant-Security-scare-Australian-radio-DJs-dupe-nurse-giving-medical-details.html

The call was received at 5:30 a.m. by a nursing staff probably preoccupied with the welfare of their patients and, perhaps, additionally tired and unprepared for the childish actions of a couple of adults paid to act like high schoolers.

I hope this isn't a suicide either, but you never know, she may have had some serious problems and depression before this even happened, and this event may have been the final straw for her.

Just a bit coincidental one could say!

@GeneralEclectic, excellent question. Most (not all) of the radio DJ's I was acquainted with during my years in broadcasting were sophomoric, poorly-educated, attention-seeking boors with major financial problems, who enjoyed the benefit of sitting in a chair and pushing buttons a few hours each day to draw a salary, usually because they were unqualified to do much of anything else. Hard words, but that is my observation. I am SO glad to be out of that industry and doing something worthwhile now--at a real job.

It may not yet be known if there is a connection between the so-called "prank" and this death; but, people need to realize that stupid actions sometimes have tragic consequences!

As ridiculous as taking one's own life because one was spoofed may be, having to live with the dishonor of sharing such a sacred piece of information...one that Kate and William probably had planned on keeping confidential until an ideal time...

WoodieRae - I consider the prank pulled by the DJs as atrocious as everyone else. However, what is "sacred" about the information that Kate was improving, had not vomitted on the nurse's shift, and was sleeping better? Why would Kate and William be keeping that confidential until an "ideal" time. This was not the announcement that they are expecting a baby. It was just an update on her condition that should not have been released to anyone by phone unless the identification of the caller had been verified. Overact much? Jeez!

In healthcare, protected heath information is a huge deal.

In addition to worldwide humiliation, she was likely facing the loss of her job, the ire of the crown, and being black listed out of her profession. This isn't "just a prank"- this may have destroyed her career. I don't condone suicide under any circumstance... but this is a lot deeper than "just a prank call" like many people here would want you to think

GeneralEclectic

What is it about getting a job as a DJ that turns ordinary people into such @$$holes?

The fake celebrity status.

As a former high school teacher, I was really discouraged by the fact that so many teenagers increasingly showed little awareness of the effect of their actions. Yes, I know all about the undeveloped prefrontal cortex and teenagers' inability to think things through, but many teens today show even less restraint than five, ten, and certainly, 20 years ago!

I don't know the ages of the two DJs, but it would be interesting to know about how they behaved in their teenage years. Were they allowed to perform similar stupid pranks with no consequences? As young adults, are they so afraid of following a moral code that doesn't intentionally hurt other people that they can be pressured by an employer who encouraged this kind of irresponsible behavior?

These two need some professional counseling to reassess their value systems and their life goals. I'm really getting sick of people so obsessed with getting attention that they don't think about the consequences of their actions!

Killian, YOU say this would have been forgotten in a week. I can guarantee you that she would have lived with this for many months, if not years. YOU will have forgotten about it because it did not involve you.

This poor woman would have been in the media -for all the wrong reasons- for at LEAST the 9 months of the pregnancy and well after.

No, you are flat wrong. Sadly, she would have suffered with this for a long time but she chose to not suffer any longer.

...but you won't remember this next week.

This isn't the nurse who gave the information to the DJ's. She is the one who answered the phone at the nurses station on the floor where Kate was admitted. She transferred the call to the nurse who was caring for Kate. She's the one who broke the rules by giving out information about her condition. The dead nurse did absolutely nothing wrong, so I can't see why she would have been blamed or be concerned about this prank call. It's possible that second nurse will be disciplined or possibly terminated because of this, so maybe that's what she blames herself for, but she didn't break any rules.

She certainly didn't do anything to verify who the caller was, but then again, who in GB would turn down the queen or ask for verification? There's a quick way to lose your job as well.

Just very sad, and it's sad that it didn't have to happen. This "case study" should be presented to EVERY high school or junior high class on how even the seemingly most harmless of pranks can go terribly wrong. Sad indeed.

Good example of people today, ready to blame others, instead of the nurse that killed herself leaving her children alone ! Really, suicide because of this joke supposedly ??

A statement from Buckingham Palace should be issued:

"We are just a bunch of very rich people who are figureheads and have no governing authority. We have our own disfunctionalites and ups and downs--just like everyone else. We're a vestige of the past. Please ignore us and leave us alone."

The dead nurse did absolutely nothing wrong, so I can't see why she would have been blamed or be concerned about this prank call. It's possible that second nurse will be disciplined or possibly terminated because of this, so maybe that's what she blames herself for, but she didn't break any rules.

It may have been her job (or the job of any nurse on the floor who happened to be acting as receptionist) to screen all incoming calls to avoid just that very thing. If the call passed by the receptionist the second nurse may have assumed (and pehaps rightly so) that it had already been screened so she was free to give out information to the caller.

Just a guess on my part.

@jeff-812327 - totally agree but this a lesson learned for each of us...unless we REALLY KNOW someone better to play if safe of course if you don't mind the possible consequences (getting blamed) then its ok

Sad it ended this way if suicide. But you cant do anything to the DJs. Ever radio station in every country has morning shows and shows where hosts call and prank people.We have all heard them. No one can expect that outcome. And if they do get charged with something then everthing you know of in the world will change. No more prank anything, from radio to TV and wo knows where the boundary gets to because if you do or say something somehow and that person takes their life then you can be charged. Media as a whole would stop. Many people who are destroying the DJs may very well have been the same people who would have possibly laughed if heaing it driving to work.

I have not heard it. But a prank, and not even one tat was really made to make someone look terrible, that makes someone commit suicide is sad. But that person had to have more problems then that.

Killian, if you think that worldwide public humiliation is no big deal, why don't you decloak and post your real photo along with your name, address, and phone number - oh, and post some audio of your voice as well?

She choked herself to death while masturbating.

Wow, you're a class act, all right!

if suicide, yes an over reaction by the nurse. yet i can appreciate how she must have felt pretty distraught.

note to "pranksters". you may set in motion events beyond your imagined outcomes. duping someone for the benefit of laughs is pretty mean spirited and perhaps should be avoided for that reason alone.

She would have lost her job and never been able to get another one because her mistake involved the Royal Family.

Her careeer was over. Her professional life was over. What was a joke to the DJ's was death to her.

Has it occurred to people that the nurse may not have been taken in at all by the call, but could have been constrained by behavioral codes set by her employer and acted accordingly? I work with the public, too; I disagree with giving someone who is shouting swear words two "warnings" before kicking them out, but that is the policy. Those of us who actually perform useful jobs in order to pay our bills often have to swallow our pride and put up with outright lies and crap from customers, but apparently this is news to entitled DJs who think that the world revolves around their little bubble and cannot understand how their stupid call "went through."

I hope the Royals are happy now.

These two dj's should be canned from the station they were working for, and blacklisted across Australia, GB, and even the US. I could understand a teenage attempting to do something like that, but for two adult (age only) to do that is totally disrespectful of not only the King and Queen but also Wm and Kate.

Patient confidentiality dictates you don't give information regarding your patients' condition over the phone. Perhaps she felt she violated her professional ethics, which may have overshadowed her humiliation from being publically pranked. Pure speculation on my part, since the circumstances of her death are still unknown. Just sayin'. A regretable tragedy regardless.

She committed no breach. She put the call through.

Ed Orr, the so-called queen and king, along with William and Kate have not earned any respect. They are not entitled to respect.

I'm leaning toward this being a freak coincidence. If it does turn out that this was a suicide stop blaming the DJ's because if she did it there were other issues in her life besides this prank to put her over the edge.

Morton McGonigal..... The royal family works very hard and gives enormously to charities in both time and money.... They have certainly earned the respect of any thinking person......what exactly do you do?

The so-called royal family gives away other people's money seized over centuries of oppressive and violent rule. They live a life of leisure where their "work", as you call it, does not determine their standard of living. They are leeches. What I do with my time is irrelevant to this case, as my quality of life depends on how hard I work. Their "work" is being in a dog and pony show to convince the masses that they have value.

If the nurse died of something natural, it's not going to make any difference here, is it?

People do keel over at age 46. People keel over at 6, 16, 26, 66, 86, for no visible reason.

That's why there's going to be an autopsy. Guessing at suicide here or at other news outlets is just that: Guessing.

Holy crap, the crown had her killed!

Poor Jacintha.... exactly what is so special about Kate and Will? Are their lives any more important than hers? Until our obsessions with wealth and beauty end, tragedies like this will continue to occur.

MB,

Most British take great pride in their monarchy. They especially like the younger royals. They're even more enchanted with William and Kate. They're not just celebrities, they're part of Britain's identity.

For this nurse to be seen as someone who unwittingly gave out private medical information about anyone is a serious professional gaff. Now add the fact that the information was about a royal. I can just imagine the dressing down she received from her superiors. They probably brought out words like "redundant" or "sack" in that conversation.

Then she gets to be put through all that again via the public forum. Ugh! Poor dear. Her family and friends have my eternal sympathies.

NO ONE COMMITS SUICIDE OVER THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THOSE ROYAL MAFIA THUGS .... KILLED HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"unexplained." Well I can explain it. Do Not Cross the Bloody British Royal Family even by Mistake.

Strange "Accidents" always seem to occur to those who do and I suspect no other Medical Staff member will make that kind of mistake going forward.

Just a little more "Culling of the Herd" as Prince Phillip would say!

“All kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out.” ~ Mark Twain

If anyone is responsible for humiliating the women, it's the news media for hyping the story. She wouldn't have been embarrassed if the entire english speaking world didn't know about the incident. The DJ's weren't bullying her, are you guys crazy? They were mocking the royal family. I didn't hear the whole thing, but what I did hear was hilarious. It wasn't a prank against the women. Some of are calling for prosecution of the DJs, why not lay blame where it belongs? The people who actually humiliated her were the news media.

For all of you, who cannot understand, why someone would commit suicide, over a situation like this; it comes down to, what nurses are all about. I know not all nurses fit into this category but, nurses are responsible, dedicated, individuals, who take pride in their jobs. As a nurse of over forty years, I can say, I was proud, of the care I provided and no one felt better than I did, when I was able to provide comfort to the patients and their loved ones.

Nurses are the unsung heroes of any profession. We do not get snow days or fog days. Oprah nor Ellen do not invite us to their shows and give us the kudos, we justly deserve, for providing tender loving care, to our patients. Not one nurse has ever been given an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe or Tony award, for their hard work and dedication.

We are on duty 24/7. We work holidays, weekends, birthdays, wedding, anniversaries, over-time. Most patients are appreciative, of the care we provide, but some can be difficult and demanding. So can the management, of the hospitals and clinics were nurses are employed.

Nursing has become less hands on, with computers and the technology. It is too bad because, a person who is ill, deserves to be treated, with tender loving care. Nurses take their jobs seriously. I believe, that is what happened to Jacintha. She cared and she felt remorse, for something she had no control. I cried when I read about her death.

There are so many wonderful nurses, who have felt the pain she felt. Nurses are a rare breed. We deserve better.

I pray God holds Jacintha in his arms and gives her, the same loving care, she provided to others for so many years. Rest in Peace Jacintha. You are off duty now.

If she was a very good worker and meticulous, she knew that she would be in trouble for giving the update. This is all very unfortunate.

She did not give the update. She put the call through to the ward where the ward gave the update.

She still put the call through (I stand corrected) without proof. There should have been a code word to identify family, which is standard procedure.

Is this 21st century or 16th? This death doesn't pass the common sense test.

Neither did Diana's.

In healthcare, protected heath information is a huge deal.

In addition to worldwide humiliation, she was likely facing the loss of her job, the ire of the crown, and being black listed out of her profession. This isn't "just a prank"- this may have destroyed her career. I don't condone suicide under any circumstance... but this is a lot deeper than "just a prank call" like many people here would want you to think

It doesn't sound like she was facing the loss of her job. The hospital was supportive of her according to the article.

Sheila

The hospital is saying they were supportive of her...now. I am a nurse and I can tell you that when there is trouble the nurses are always the ones hung out to dry. If this woman wasn't about to be fired she was likely being pressured to resign, and who else would hire her? I haven't seen if the press knew who she was, so I don't know if they were hounding her. If the hospital had truly been supportive I doubt that she would have taken her own life.

This nurse didn't break any rules. The second nurse did. She did nothing wrong.

It's "standard procedure" where to have a code word? In the U.S.A., the individual employer makes the rules - and can deviate from them at any time, and believe me they were deviated from when King Hussein of Jordan and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia came to our Mayo Clinic. Whatever the king said, the hospital did, including having no female nurses in violation of US law (but probably best as Hussein allegedly had a roving eye).

While I am not sure about GB's privacy laws, in the USA this nurse would have been

a) Counseled (if she was lucky)

b) Terminated/Fired (most likely)!

I am an RN, and have worked in health care (paid and volunteer) since 1975, and you never give out information without some kind of verification of who the caller is, and who is allowed to be receiving information. It is likely that these DJs had to get past at least 2 layers of hospital security to even talk with the nurse - Hospital telephone operator, unit secretary and/or security.

Unless you have been in the situation, you have no idea what she was feeling. As with most health care workers in Labor & Delivery, she probably had developed a good relationship with the Royals, and did not want to see them hurt. I can personally remember every error I have made, even minor ones that hurt nobody. Now add to that the harrassment she has been receiving in the media, on the equivalent of our "late night shows", and from individuals that worship the Royals. She had to have been through an immense background check, as had almost everyone in the hospital where the Royals are treated. And now she has almost certainly been fired for the release of information and "causing harm on the reputation of the hospital".

I pray for the family of the nurse, and the sorrow they are feeling, and also for the Royals who seem to be the most "human" in action and the way they treat others. If my observations are right, they would have forgiven the nurse for this error, and gone on living. I am certainly NOT an "anglophile", and rarely follow what is going on in the personal lives of any nation's royalty except as affects international relations.

whoa, there. An adult commits suicide over incorrectly forwarding a call to the ward of the duchess and it's the dj's fault? Are you kidding me?

Agreed Frequent. How is someone else responsible for a suicide? The person responsible is the one committing suicide. She must have been a really weak person if the reason to commit this act was due to transferring a call.

FMF: No self-worth on your part I see. Maybe you could go out on the freeway and cause an accident. Not your fault, just bad drivers, he?

Frequent, it has been confirmed it's not the receptionist who forwarded the called that committed suicide. It's the nurse who divulged all the private information that died. I can see how the worldwide scale of the humiliation could affect someone in such a tragic way.

Actions have consequences, and sometimes they aren't what you intend.

gee cunical, that would possibly hold true if FMF didn't run into a tree, or ditch or concrete median or anything like that.. so your logic fails

and you fail to see FMF's point: the only person responsible for this woman's suicide is this woman. how she handled the prank etc is solely on her, nobody else. many other people have been pranked to some degree, could be on tv or in private etc and many of them aren't committing suicide over it. she didn't handle it well and committed suicide - a tragedy - but that is not the djs fault, she took her own life (that is assuming it was indeed a suicide scenario).

and there are many people humiliated publicly - celebrities get it all the time - are they all committing suicide ? no.. they handled it better than she did.

this woman committing suicide is definitely a horrible tragedy, i'm sure she was a great person and did her job extremely well, but you can't blame the djs for it - she killed herself.

Phoenyx13

Yes you CAN blame the DJs.

If you call asking for confidential information while impersonating an official...yes you can be liable. If they had stopped the prank SHORT of receiving private information, all would have been good. It wasn't. By the DJs actions, this woman gave out information that she otherwise would never do. She knew this.

It was more than just humiliation once detailed information was given out. It became a crime.

Yes, she killed herself, but the causation was a cruel prank that became a crime upon getting privileged information. They are at fault.

Randoo,

i agree the djs are the causation, but how she reacted and dealt with it was solely upon her. the djs didn't tell her to commit suicide nor did they physically hand her any tools to help her implement the suicide. yes the djs committed a prank, whether or not it was tasteful or went too far is up for debate but they did commit the prank.

how she reacted is solely upon her, not anyone else. she is ultimately responsible for the actions she commits, nobody else.

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?" - General Maximus Decimus Meridius, Gladiator

Depending on the local laws, they DJs can be charged with a form of manslaughter, since a suicide was not the intent, but there is no other action known that contributed to her death other than that which has DIRECT relation to her death. She would have already been cleared of mental illness before she could treat the Princess and infant. That being said, in my opinion they should be reprimanded by their employer, the station fined for encouraging them to break the law (release of personal information) as part of their show, and the DJs also be fined for their intentional action that broke laws, that they have to PERSONALLY pay rather than their employer pay for them.

The laws, or enforcement of them at least, are much more lax in the UK realm than in the USA.

Depending on the local laws, they DJs can be charged with a form of manslaughter, since a suicide was not the intent, but there is no other action known that contributed to her death other than that which has DIRECT relation to her death

If this was a suicide caused by public humiliation, would it not be the news media that actually humiliated her? The radio show was only broadcast in a small part of Australia. That would not have caused her humiliation. Making it international news in fact caused the humiliation.

I don't know how things are done in the UK, but if this happened in America the nurse would have been fired.

Killian, possibly, but not necessarily.

HIPAA laws forbid any hospital employee talking to anyone about a patient, period. In this country the nurse who gave out patient information over the phone would have been fired.

Very Tragic, This is one of many reasons why the U.S has the Hipaa Law !!!!

R.I.P. Jacintha

we do have such a law. it's called the Data Protection Act. the nurse in question took the call because no one was on reception at the time, she then forwarded it to the nurse who was looking after Kate. she committed suicide because she was ashamed and had been the butt of jokes ever since. it was an unfortunate breakdown in communication, each one assumed the other had/would verify the identity of the caller. nurses are rushed off their feet day in day out and sometimes mistakes like this happen.

Exactly my thoughts Anaon. If the Queen wanted to call the hospital, she wouldn't call the main publically listed phone number. Does anyone believe the hospital wouldn't have given the Queen's office a special private number? I would think that once the call reached the ward, the nurse would have reason to believe the call was vetted as real. Would the nurse have known the call came in through the public phone number? It's the receptionist who first took the call who should be blamed.

The person who died was the nurse who was subbing at the reception desk. She wasn't the receptionist; she was answering phones until the receptionist got there. She transferred the call to the nurse who talked with the DJ's.

Kiilian Jones: "Public humiliation is no reason to end your life."

Only an imbecile about human relations could say this. From public Stocks to Ostracization by communities and religious groups, this has been one of the most powerful tools against individuals and very likely the single largest contributor to depression and suicide in history. But Killian Jones is tougher than all that. Very impressive.

How do you know this? The article says it is unclear the nurse's role in the incident. The nurse was subbing at the reception desk? Where does it say that? Is there another news site with more information?

Killian, didn't you say earlier that she "choked herself while maturbating"? And you are still commenting? I guess you would know about public humiliation considering the trolling that you're doing here.

lynnn

"HIPAA laws forbid any hospital employee talking to anyone about a patient, period. In this country the nurse who gave out patient information over the phone would have been fired."

You are incorrect. Try to understand the law before you comment on it. HIPAA allows basic information to be given on any patient to anyone who calls asking, UNLESS the patient has specifically opted out of the patient directory. Whether or not the nurse in this case would have been fired, had this happened in the US, would depend on the circumstances. If the information released was only the fact of the patient's presence, a room number and a general statement of condition, it would not even be considered a breach of confidentiality. If it included more specific information, the event might be considered a breach and would be labeled as an unintentional disclosure of information. The nurse believed that she was giving information to someone authorized to receive it. If the nurse had not been involved in other HIPAA related disclosures before, she would probably receive a lighter disciplinary action than termination.

Gus and MDrn are right. Breach of patient confidentiality is a very big deal and when the patient's a VIP. the repercussions are huge. Prince Edward VII Hospital says it supported the nurse through this "difficult time." If their support is anything like the "support" of my facility, this nurse must have felt about 2 centimeters tall, and yes, she was very likely given reason to at least suspect her job was in jeopardy.

Joemike

You are incorrect. Try to understand the law before you comment on it. HIPAA allows basic information to be given on any patient to anyone who calls asking

I work in a hospital and attend educational meetings that drill HIPAA into the heads of every hospital employee. If someone calls the switchboard and asks to be connected to the room of a patient who has not opted out that is allowed, to talk to the patient, not to receive information about a patient.

If the nurse had the permission of her patient to discuss her with someone else over the phone that is allowed, though not wise, otherwise it is AGAINST THE LAW to even say she had a restful night.

And yes, this is a very sure way to get fired. I have seen people fired for this . Hospitals can be sued and take this very seriously.

lynnn, I have been the Chief Nursing Officer of several hospitals. You are incorrect. I suggest you go back to HR and ask them to do a better job with your training.

joemike,

I call BS, you are wrong. I don't believe you know anything about this at all. There is no such as thing as a Chief Nursing Officer in a hospital. Their is a Nurse Supervisor for the hospital and a PRIVACY OFFICER, who would have to fire your butt for talking to someone about a patient without express consent of the patient. I suggest you try to sell this to someone who doesn't deal with the HIPAA law every day.

to joemike the "chief nursing officer" in various hospitals

from the HIPAA website

The Privacy Rule does not allow a health care provider or health plan to share information with your family or friends, unless they are your personal representatives.

A health care provider or health plan may share relevant information with family members or friends involved in your health care or payment for your health care, if you tell the provider or plan that it can do so,

I saw a woman fired because she told her Mom that a neighbor was in the hospital and the neighbor found out. Hospitals take privacy very seriously.

Maybe you better review the law before your next big job at a hospital.

I went strait to conspiracy too. Suicide didn't cross my mind until I read these comments.

There are no harmless pranks.

Definition of sadism: The derivation of pleasure as a result of inflicting pain, cruelty, degradation, or humiliation, or, watching such behaviors inflicted on others.

I think it's obvious it wasn't a "harmless" prank.

Oh please. There is absolutely such a thing as a harmless prank. We aren't talking about sadism, bullying, or anything else, none of that went on here. We're talking about a prank phone call. You are telling me you never prank called anyone? If you want to blame anyone, blame the media for blowing the original story wayyyy out of proportion. If she was harassed and that is what somehow led to her death, it is the media's fault, not the DJ's.

The DJ's (you know, members of the media), called the hospital and lied in an effort to get employees to divulge confidential information. It's not harmess and its not a prank.

umm... did you hear the phone call? What is this confidential information you are speaking of that they tried to illegally obtain?

jwill1 -

You are telling me you've never prank called anyone?

I have never taken pleasure from either embarrassing someone or seeing someone embarrassed, either in public or private. I consider those who do, including those who watch TV shows that publicly embarrass people to be sadistic.

This was not 'harmless'. It was a prank that went awry, and they instigated the whole thing. They will carry some kind of guilt for the rest of their lives. Not good for anybody, especially the nurse and her loved ones.

if it was a "harmless prank", then no one should have been harmed in the making of the prank or in the outcome of the prank.

in listening to the reaction of the dj's in their "apology", it doesn't seem like they are very sincere with their giggles. unfortunately, someone has been harmed and so this makes for a VERY harmful prank. but until we know the actual cause of death. i feel the dj's should at least show a little more respect towards the situation, because maybe, if it weren't for that "harmless" phone call, King Edward VII hospital may still have their very well liked and first class nurse on staff today.

not everyone handles being the butt of a joke as well as others, especially when it makes it to national news/airways. so she should not be condemned for taking her job seriously, because this world could definitely benefit with more nurses who DO take their job seriously. someone who's goal is to care for others and not pike up their ratings for financial&popularity gain.

Most articles are confirming it was an apparent suicide. My prayers and my heart goes out to the family. Not trying to sound insensitive. I just think sometimes unfortunate things happen. We don't always have to resort to blaming someone. Prank calls happen all of the freaking time. Ashton Kutcher made big money going around pranking people for entertainment, and people thought it was funny. Nobody could have seen this story blowing up like it did, and no one could have seen this leading to a loss of life. It is just one of those freak things that happens, and it is sad.

jwill1, there's a difference between prank calling a pizza place and prank calling a higher institution like a hospital where it's all about patient safety and patient confidentiality. Why don't you make a harmless prank call to 911 and see how "harmless" that turns out?

Maybe the problem is that DJs feel like that need to perform any pranks!

Is that in their job description when they sign a contract...that they will be nosey and try to be the first to report on how a woman suffering from morning sickness is feeling on that particular day? Who the hell cares???? Why is that so newsworthy??? Does anybody not think that 1) we will all find out evenutally how Kate is feeling and 2) it's none of our business?

This obsession of knowing everybody's business is getting RIDICULOUS! Meanwhile, really important problems in the world go unaddressed...

op2388, look. Did the DJ's go too far with this prank? Yeah. Did the media go too far when they blew this story out of proportion? Yeah. Did the nurse go too far in taking the embarrassment from it and doing the unthinkable by ending her life? Absolutely. We don't know what else was going on in her life, this might have just been something that pushed her over the edge, or maybe it had nothing to do with it, we don't know the details. So why automatically blame the DJ's? It's simply because people can't accept that sometimes bad things happen, and sometimes there is no one to blame...

It's a harmless prank when noone gets harmed. Reality should factor into your opinion at some point, don't you think?

sure, if you are operating under the assumption that the prank caused the death. In that case, why stop at pointing fingers at them? They should be arrested and tried for first degree murder. There are a lot more factors involved in which the details we are all unaware of. So we shouldn't be so quick to blame the DJ's for something as harmless as a prank phone call.

There are no harmless pranks.

Definition of sadism: The derivation of pleasure as a result of inflicting pain, cruelty, degradation, or humiliation, or, watching such behaviors inflicted on others.

Don't forget, this wasn't a prank targeting the woman. It was mocking the royal family.

overreaction all around-- if it was suicide, the nurse had issues bigger than being the target of a possibly ill-conceived prank; all you folks blowing hard about the culpability of the DJs, get a hold of yourselves-- some of you probably are more peeved that anyone would mock the royals than that someone has died-- people die every day from all kinds of causes-- our governments do things all the time that kill innocents, so stop acting as if we all aren't guilty of poor judgment and responsibility for the deaths of thousands-- get some perspective and wait to blather self-righteously till we know why she died, for one thing

Well let's wait and see whether that really was the case here. Seems to me that if she lost her job over it she would have had grounds at least to sue the pants off of the radio station. But we don't even know whether her job was in jeopardy. I agree that these pranks are childish, but radio stations do them all the time and usually they are harmless and in good fun.

My thoughts EXACTLY!!! Am only hoping/praying that this is a prank to teach a lesson! If not... my condolences to family, friends & co-workers.

Beer Mug - the DJs were in a DIFFERENT country. It would have been difficult to sue them And her career was more than likely over and her reputation in ruins.

They thought that they'd be found out by their lousy accents, and wouldn't make it past the switchboard.

C'mon, when McDonalds first became popular, one of the gag calls that made the rounds around the radio station was that of someone passing himself off as a military commander, ordering hundreds of hamburgers and milkshakes for his unit.

give me a break... if that was the case, Howard Stern would have been in jail 25 years ago. What about the woman who ACTUALLY talked to the DJs and gave a medical update on the duchess? Why didn't she kill herself? Because she's mentally stable. The other, obviously, was off her rocker.

This was SUICIDE, do you get it... she KILLED herself over a dopey prank that meant NOTHING. She was so involved and self-centered that she ruined the lives of her family, friends and co-workers because she FORWARDED A TELEPHONE CALL.

FFlyer...I hardly think blaming the victim is the right call. I'm not saying that it wasn't an overreaction but we have no idea what else was happening in her life. If this pushed her over the edge it is tragic and you should not be abusing her further.

FMF

You got it right.

If you are so unstable the you whack yourself because of a trivial mistake, maybe you shouldn't be working in a life and death situation job

N

I find it sad that this woman was too weak minded to actually commit suicide over a prank.

Weak minded? A person who takes their own life is ill, not weak. You are a heartless, ignorant bastard.

Nice name calling. What are you four? Take your ball and go home.

It's not that far fetched. You fall for a prank that could threaten your career. On top of a black mark on your work record and possibly losing your livelihood, it's a prank that is magnified on the world stage because it involves the royal family of your country. Even if you're not outed by name in the media, you know you effed up and you see everybody laughing at your mistake. You feel like you let down the most important family in your country and it's easy to see how somebody can crumble under that pressure.

If this was indeed a suicide, people have committed suicide under stress from publicity far less widespread than in this instance.

Oscar, your question implies that there are good reasons for killing yourself, which, of course, there aren't. She was obviously depressed and this was an event that was so traumatic it made her take the ultimate step to end her depression. You can't think of it in rational, healthy terms.

JJJJ - from the sounds of the article I didn't pick up that her career was in jeporady. The hospital and staff had great things to say about her.

from the sounds of the article I didn't pick up that her career was in jeporady. The hospital and staff had great things to say about her.

Yeah....Now.

I'd be interested to hear what they were saying to her yesterday.

The dead nurse broke no rules. The second nurse who actually gave out the information did.

lisa-3322183,

I don't how things work in Great Britain. With the HIIPA laws in America, a nurse in that situation would be under intense scrutiny by her employer (more for the employer's own sake and pr) and in many cases the individual would be made a scapegoat. Things very well might be different in the UK, but in the USA you could pretty much kiss your career in the healthcare field goodbye. I also doubt that an employer would release a statement saying anything other than positive things after an apparent suicide.

Imagine this happened with the president's family. The nurses involved would be fired under HIIPA law violations. When any future prospective employers find out they were fired due to highly publicized HIIPA violations, you can kiss any possible job offers goodbye. If one would committ suicide before being fired, no hospital would admit that they were considering discipline up to and including termination for fear that it would open them up to the civil law suit.

GET THE STORY CORRECT... she didn't divulge ANYTHING. She forwarded the phone call to the ward nurse who DID give out the info. that's why this is SO ridiculous. Blaming someone else for an adult suicide. Idiotic.

<i> It wasn't clear what role the nurse found dead Friday played in the incident. </i>

Where are you getting this information that <i> she didn't divulge ANYTHING. She forwarded the phone call to the ward nurse who DID give out the into. </i> This article didn't make that clear. My assumption is that the nurse who died WAS the one who gave out the information. If you have other sources, please let us know where you found out that information.

it's still not worth killing yourself over. i understand your point though. Those DJs were idiots to begin with. People need more compassion is the bottom line. The world would be happier.

OK LaniMirc...when we get the OK to remove sub-humans like you from the gene pool then I will agree with you. Until then, crawl back in your little hole and leave us human-beings alone. I bet you enjoyed bullying other kids in school or maybe you are a kid which means you are well on your way to becoming a serial killer.

Lani Mirc is probably just a pimpled faced teen waiting for his hair to grow in and this is the ONLY forum where he can express himself if his Mummy doesn't catch him. He probably is angry because he has no friends, and is unsure what to do about all these "strange feelings" he has so he projects his emotions and confusion onto others. That is why all the foul language, comments about sexuality preference, comments about growing a pair (still waiting for his to decend) and insensitivity towards others.

He will either grow out of it or someone (in real life and not on the internet) will smack him and shut him up for real. Seek help Lani...

Those 2 DJ's will live with this and be tormented by this the rest of their lives.

We can only hope so.

There was this Nurse - probably over worked, under paid, and probably very proud to be servicing the princess - doing her job not expecting someone to con her or lie to her on the phone. Did she make a mistake? maybe -

I really hate when DJ's do this kind of thing. It's very cruel - did they even think about the possibility that someone may loose their ability to make money or how that individual would be able to handle a scandal?

It's one thing if you want to call into the Hospital to see how far you can get as a normal person. But to con someone into thinking you are a member of the Royal Family.

Many years ago when Howard Stern was in the DC radio market he called Air Florida ticket agents the day after the crash and requested "Can I have a one way ticket to the 14th Street Bridge?" For those of you who don't remember Air Florida - on a snowy day in January the airplane crashed on the 14th Street Bridge on the Potomac River.

This is just cruel and heartless to do something like this..... WHATS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!!!

You really blame the DJ's? This was a silly prank and truthfully I see no reason at all for the DJ's to be blamed. The hospital has said they supported the nurse. I feel very badly for the nurse but hardly see any reason for this to be the sole reason for committing suicide.

The problem with society is that too many people take themselves a little too seriously.

"The problem with society is that too many people take themselves a little too seriously."

Yes, but also that too many don't give a damn about other people's feelings, their lot in life, or their opinions. I see that as the biggest problem now, especially in our country.

I believe that the DJ's are probably now feeling that if they had it to do over again, they wouldn't do it. If they're feeling anything different, then that fully illustrates my last sentence.

Good response twodogs!

My question is: Why do adults find it necessary to play classless pranks on other adults like little kids in the schoolyard? I quit listening to a morning show in my hometown because the DJs were getting so nasty with some of the people they pranked, that it just was not funny anymore and it was not that funny to begin with.

Bully's come in all ages. The important thing if if you support them or not.

These kind of pranks would not happen if society reacted poorly.

It never would have happened to a Muslim... Can you imagine if these DJ's call a Muslin person impersonating Mohammad or a high cleric? That kind of reaction prevents it from happening.

speaking of bullies....one wonders what Will, son of the world's highest priced whore, did other than react in a way that contributed to this....the lad is a bit thin skinned based on his reaction to an attempt to photograph kates titis without a magnifying lens.......

She would more likely have had the DJ's killed.

the queen had her killed

She does appear to be a bit to innocent looking most of the time. Now if the Queen wore black all the time and dyed her hair strange colors I wouldn't question her innocence. It's the goody two shoes always doing things prim and proper you have to suspect first.

Church mice are always the first ones to pull a Charles Manson, and when they do their innocent appearance gives you the idea that there is nothing to suspect.

The Nurse was local. FEAR to anyone who crosses the Crown.

(Just like the good ole olden days) Off with her head !