Opinion ID: 166569
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Defendant Donna Quintana, LPN

Text: 59 Finally, we address the district court's grant of summary judgment to Nurse Quintana. We assume Ms. Mata satisfies the objective prong of the deliberate indifference test as to Ms. Quintana because she undoubtedly fails to satisfy the test's subjective prong. Nothing in the record suggests Nurse Quintana was consciously aware of a serious medical risk to Ms. Mata and disregarded that risk. See Farmer, 511 U.S. at 839, 114 S.Ct. 1970. When Ms. Mata visited the infirmary on the morning of October 30, 2000, she told Nurse Quintana about her chest pains. Ms. Quintana checked Ms. Mata's pulse and performed an EKG which produced normal results. Ms. Quintana also noted in Ms. Mata's chart that she denied having any pain in her arm, her color was normal, and her lungs were clear. At that moment, no indication existed that Ms. Mata was subject to serious medical risk. In fact, Ms. Mata told Ms. Quintana I think I'm going to be okay. Nurse Quintana informed Ms. Mata she had worked in coronary for seven years, and [Ms. Mata] was not having a heart attack. Ms. Quintana gave Ms. Mata a twenty-four hour lay-in slip, which allowed Ms. Mata to rest for the day. Ms. Quintana also indicated in Ms. Mata's medical chart that she instructed Ms. Mata to return to the infirmary if her pain worsened. 60 Nurse Quintana's statement that Ms. Mata was not having a heart attack and her notes in Ms. Mata's medical chart indicating she told Ms. Mata to return if the pain worsened provide direct insight into Nurse Quintana's subjective state of mind. Nurse Quintana's statement and notes demonstrate she subjectively believed Ms. Mata was not having a heart attack and her chest pain had been relieved. Ms. Mata told her as much when Ms. Mata stated she thought she was going to be okay. In her dissent, Judge Seymour makes much of Nurse Quintana's after-the-fact acknowledgment that protocols require her to call a doctor in the case of severe chest pain. Nothing in the record suggests, however, Nurse Quintana believed Ms. Mata was suffering severe chest pain, when she released her, thereby consciously disregarding a known medical risk to Ms. Mata. See Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837, 114 S.Ct. 1970. Rather, the evidence demonstrates Nurse Quintana subjectively believed: (1) Ms. Mata's chest pain had been relieved; (2) Ms. Mata was not suffering from a heart attack or other serious medical condition; (3) Ms. Mata, according to her own statement, was going to be okay; and, (4) Ms. Mata did not need a physician. Ms. Quintana testified as much when she stated I would not have sent [Ms. Mata] out if her chest pain had not been relieved. 61 The record simply does not demonstrate Nurse Quintana acted with deliberate indifference towards Ms. Mata's medical needs. See Gross v. Pirtle, 245 F.3d 1151, 1155-56 (10th Cir.2001) (noting the record must demonstrate plaintiff has satisfied her heavy burden of overcoming a qualified immunity defense). To the contrary, the record shows Ms. Quintana made a good faith effort to diagnose and treat Ms. Mata's medical condition. No reasonable jury could conclude Nurse Quintana acted with deliberate indifference to Ms. Mata's medical needs based on the record before us. The district court correctly concluded Nurse Quintana was entitled to qualified immunity and properly granted her summary judgment on Ms. Mata's Eighth Amendment claim. 62 The judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED with respect to Ms. Quintana, Ms. Hough, and Ms. Saiz, REVERSED with respect to Ms. Weldon, and REMANDED for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.