Fifteen nurses have been fired, but their union is fighting allegations and demanding the nurses be reinstated.
What happened
Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Washington has fired 15 nurses following the suicide of a young girl in the facility, according to Investigate West.
The death, which took place on April 13th, faced scrutiny from the public and some hospital staff. Some felt the suicide could have been avoided if the patient had been under better care. Furthermore, some nurses felt frustrated that the cause of death was not made clear when the news was first released to staff. In one instance, a nurse did not know what had caused the death and looked into the patient’s file to better understand the incident.
The hospital fired 15 nurses for alleged privacy violations, and disciplined one other. Privacy violations stemmed from the nurse looking through the patient’s file and, in other instances, allegedly speaking to reporters.
What’s new
The death led to a probe into the hospital by the Washington Department of Health, which determined that Sacred Heart had endangered three other suicidal patients this year. The investigation is now closed following the implementation of corrective actions by Sacred Heart. Concurrently, the family of the patient is suing the hospital for alleged negligence and medical malpractice. This lawsuit is ongoing.
Now, the nurses union is filing a grievance against Sacred Heart, alleging that the firing and disciplinary measures were in retaliation, rather than due to privacy violations. According to Investigate West, privacy violations are very serious for nurses; violations disqualify nurses from being rehired and can result in a suspension or loss of a nursing license.
What was said
According to the nurse union spokesperson Ruth Schubert, “Many nurses say they feel targeted because of coverage of the suicide in the media…Nurses say managers have accused them of being spiteful and sneaky in their actions–accusations that nurses deny and that are inappropriate.”
Hospital official Allie Hyams said that potential privacy violations are taken “very seriously.” She added, “We review employee conduct and take appropriate action, including termination of employment, where warranted…Patient privacy is one of our top priorities.”
The big picture
The incident shows that HIPAA violations are not always clear-cut, and in the medical world, health care workers are sometimes put in difficult positions where they must navigate public concern, HIPAA obligations, and their own feelings. Nevertheless, privacy violations are always a serious matter, and regardless of how the grievances shake-out, it’s likely both the hospital and nurses will reconsider their obligations and role in protecting patient privacy.
FAQs
What is the nurse’s union fighting for?
The nurses union is arguing that the nurses were fired out of retaliation, and thus the alleged privacy violations should be dismissed and the nurses should be reinstated.
Are nurses ever allowed to talk to reporters?
Although nurses can talk to reporters, they must follow their employer’s media policy and HIPAA regulations. Failure to follow these policies could result in employee dismissal or even legal charges.
Abby Grifno
