Nurse gives up license after saying he won’t perform anesthesia on MAGA patients
A Florida nurse who said he would refuse to provide anesthesia to patients who support the MAGA movement has voluntarily given up his nursing license.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the development Thursday in a post on X, stating, “Effective today, Erik Martindale is no longer a registered nurse in Florida.”
Uthmeier added that medical care should never depend on political beliefs and said the state has “zero tolerance” for healthcare workers who allow politics to interfere with their professional obligations to treat patients with respect and dignity.
In a social media post that was later deleted, Martindale wrote that he would not perform anesthesia for MAGA patients, claiming it was his right and aligned with his ethical oath. He also said he owned his businesses and could refuse service to anyone.
Martindale later claimed his Facebook account had been hacked.
A senior state official familiar with the matter confirmed that Martindale relinquished his license and noted that he also violated a nursing compact agreement by moving from Florida to Indiana without notifying the Florida Board of Nursing.
License records on the Florida Department of Health’s website list Martindale’s status as “voluntarily relinquished.” The department notes that voluntary relinquishment does not constitute disciplinary action.
Fox News Digital contacted the Florida Board of Nursing and attempted to reach Martindale for comment.
The development comes amid a separate incident involving another Florida nurse. Lexie Lawler, a former labor and delivery nurse at Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital, was fired last week after posting a video in which she expressed harmful wishes toward Karoline Leavitt during childbirth.
In the video, Lawler made the comments while referencing her role as a labor and delivery nurse.
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