Thats why I said:
On one hand, he (Kennedy) should have asked to talk with a supervisor first and not have forced the issue and IMO gotten into a physical confrontation and he may have been acting like a jerk.
But when the nurse told my dad and I that we couldnt leave the hospital and threatened to call the police - a gross overreaction and unnecessary escalation on her part, I asked her to call a supervisor and she basically told me she was in charge of the floor and she didnt need to call any supervisor.
Thats when we simply left, her personal power trip not impressing me or my dad one bit. And if she had called the police and we had been detained or arrested or if she had tried to restrain us, believe me, there would have been a lawsuit.
But I dont know all the facts in this case and thats why I said Im reserving judgment and not jumping to conclusions one way or another.
You were right to leave, the nurse in your case was totally out of line.
In regards to pediatric patients, the hospital does have the right to detain, especially when policies and procedures are being broken. The hospital has the duty to the infant, because the infant is not an adult who can make their own decisions.
A hospital can get sued if they discharge a pediatric patient to an unsafe home situation.