OAKLAND, Calif. — Oakland Children’s Hospital is facing a fine of $10,000 levied by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal OSHA) for various workplace safety violations. The most serious of these violations is the failure to protect emergency room staff from violence.
Nurses at the facility say they have not been trained to deal with potentially dangerous situations or confrontational patients, KTVU reports. Anna Smith, a nurse, told the news source that when confronted by a gunshot victim who was dropped off outside the emergency room last October, she and her colleagues wasted precious time trying to figure out how to handle the situation
Hospital officials say the allegations are overblown and that the hospital already has a policy in place for patients who are dropped off at the emergency room. A security team is sent out to assess the situation before a medical team is called to assist the patient, Chief Nursing Officer Nancy Shibata told the news source.
Hospital officials plan to appeal the citation, which they claim is the result of strained labor negotiations between the hospital and the California Nurses Association.
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