Nurses file class-action lawsuit against Ascension, Prime over hospital staffing
A group of nurses from Saint Joseph Medical Center in Illinois filed a class-action lawsuit against their employer, accusing it of operating at dangerously low staffing levels that put patient health at risk.
In a lawsuit, four nurses are named as lead plaintiffs, though all current and former nurses who worked at the facility and suffered as a result of the alleged understaffing can join the lawsuit, assuming it moves forward.
Named as defendants in the case are Prime Healthcare Services, a private holding company, and faith-based nonprofit Ascension. Together, the two entities own Saint Joseph Medical Center, which sits just outside Chicago.
The two companies are accused of failing to provide a safe work environment for nurses, which in turn put the lives of patients at risk. Specifically, the organizations are accused of operating without regard to minimum safe staffing ratios, which compare nurse-to-patient ratios based on capacity.
State laws protect patients, nurses
Two laws in Illinois mandate safe staffing levels, the Nurse Staffing by Patient Acuity Act and the Hospital Report Card Act. Prime and Ascension are accused of violating both of them. Medical errors were said to have happened as a result of the limited nursing staff, including medication delays and poor infection control.
Alleged issues with staffing, and the resulting medical errors, are said in the lawsuit to have gone on for years and were a problem throughout the hospital.
"By endangering the lives of patients through severe understaffing and forcing plaintiffs and other nurses to watch helplessly as the needs of their patients are ignored, the defendants have engaged in conduct that is unethical, immoral and indifferent to the conduct expected of a hospital, to provide safe and adequate patient care," the lawsuit reads.
It goes on to state that nurses suffered heightened levels of stress as a result and were virtually helpless to improve the situation, as plaintiffs had no control over worker scheduling and staffing policy.
Further, it’s alleged that attempts to report concerns over working conditions and patient safety were ignored. Plaintiffs are seeking damages, both to recoup losses from pain and suffering, and to compel Prime and Ascension to comply with state law.
The lawsuit is still pending in a county court.
HealthExec has reached out to Saint Joseph Medical Center for comment.
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