Hospital Policies Prompt Patient Safety, Discrimination Concerns

City of Hope RNs will hold a prayer vigil Monday night outside the Duarte hospital to alert the public to concerns over hospital actions they believe potentially jeopardize patient safety involving the introduction of new specialized equipment for patients needing continuous cardiac monitoring, and the hospital’s retaliation and discrimination against nurses for voicing concerns about proper use of the equipment.

What: RN Vigil
When: Monday, February 25, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: By City of Hope Main Entrance
1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte

Last spring, City of Hope administration announced the introduction of new specialized equipment for “ventilator patients,” but in a sharp departure from past practice failed to offer hands on training on the use of the equipment that RNs say is needed to keep patients safe.

First, nurses circulated a petition to hospital CEO Michael Friedman, CEO, requesting formal education and orientation. Hospital managers then set classes on usage of the new complex equipment, but RNs in attendance said the classes failed to achieve what was needed.

The intricate and crucial subject matter, say the nurses, was presented in a rushed manner, providing only classroom instruction as opposed to the days of hands on training afforded to RNs assigned to use the equipment in the past. Further, the RNs were subjected to verbal abuse, profanity, and derision, especially directed to RNs trained in the Philippines.

In response, the RNs filed formal harassment and discrimination complaints with hospital officials. But with little redress, the RNs felt compelled to circulate and deliver another petition to the CEO this winter and then shared their concerns with management about both the training and the conduct of the educator in a meeting this January.

But rather than solving the problems, the administration in early February suspended six RNs, all of Filipino descent, including an RN who had filed a formal harassment and discrimination complaint against the educator.

Now, the nurses, say, they have no choice but to take their concerns to the public.

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