Medical mistakes can be costly for everyone involved, including the patient, the hospital administration and even the staff that may be implicated in the mistake. A recent situation that has made the news has garnered attention on all fronts as a mistake has had ripple effects on everyone involved. A nurse involved in the medical mistake was terminated and has filed a wrongful termination suit against the hospital. Any Colorado hospital worker who has been involved with a mistake or even in the room when one has occurred may want to follow the story.
The hospital was conducting a kidney transplant on the woman. The kidney set to be implanted was a perfect match from her brother. A nurse accidentally threw the kidney awaiting transplant into medical waste garbage. The kidney was deemed unusable and the woman ended up waiting months for another kidney.
The patient in this case filed suit against the hospital. However, a nurse was fired even though she was not the nurse who threw out the kidney. The fired nurse says she was let go due to violating procedures that she contends did not even exist on the day of the incident.
While mistakes of this magnitude are rare, they can occur and there will naturally be repercussions. However, the nurse involved contends she was not in the wrong and therefore should not have been terminated. If a Colorado hospital worker feels they are fired because of someone else’s mistake, a successful wrongful termination suit may help them get their job back or receive compensation.
Source: thestate.com, Ohio hospital fights suit over botched transplant, No author, Sept. 7, 2013