An unnamed replacement nurse, hired on a five-day contract at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland during a major nursing strike, is being questioned for administering a lethal medication dose that caused a patient death, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
The replacement nurse was hired during a massive nursing walk-off in California. More than 23,000 nurses at more than 30 Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health hospitals in Northern and Central California took part in a one-day strike. The Kaiser nurses went on strike in solidarity for mental health workers at Kaiser, who are in ongoing contract negotiations with the system. Sutter nurses are on strike over their own contract negotiations.
In response, Sutter Health, which operates Alta Bates Summit, hired nurses on five-day contracts to replace nurses who were locked out during the one-day strike. Rose Ann Demoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association-National Nurses United, which represents approximately 2,000 Alta Bates Summit nurses, said the replacement nurses are not as qualified or familiar with the patients and called the lock-out "irresponsible."
Sutter officials refuted those claims, arguing the replacement workers had sufficient experience and training to deliver safe care. Law enforcement and state health department officials are investigating the matter. Details of the patient's death were not made public.
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The replacement nurse was hired during a massive nursing walk-off in California. More than 23,000 nurses at more than 30 Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health hospitals in Northern and Central California took part in a one-day strike. The Kaiser nurses went on strike in solidarity for mental health workers at Kaiser, who are in ongoing contract negotiations with the system. Sutter nurses are on strike over their own contract negotiations.
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In response, Sutter Health, which operates Alta Bates Summit, hired nurses on five-day contracts to replace nurses who were locked out during the one-day strike. Rose Ann Demoro, executive director of the California Nurses Association-National Nurses United, which represents approximately 2,000 Alta Bates Summit nurses, said the replacement nurses are not as qualified or familiar with the patients and called the lock-out "irresponsible."
Sutter officials refuted those claims, arguing the replacement workers had sufficient experience and training to deliver safe care. Law enforcement and state health department officials are investigating the matter. Details of the patient's death were not made public.
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