Community Corner
Largo Hospital Refutes Allegations From Fla., Nurses About Unsafe Workplace Conditions Amid COVID-19
Registered nurses in Florida have protested unsafe workplace conditions and safety issues concerning patient care.
By Issac Morgan
July 15, 2020
As registered nurses in Florida plan to protest Wednesday evening over unsafe workplace conditions and safety issues concerning patient care, the Largo Medical Center, among three hospitals listed in complaints, issued a statement refuting accusations.
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The National Nurses United, a nationwide union representing nurses, said in a press release that nurses “will gather in a social distancing action at St. Petersburg General Hospital” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
In an email to the Florida Phoenix, Debra McKell, Largo Medical Center spokeswoman, said: “We are extremely disappointed in the NNU’s ongoing efforts to discredit the hard work and excellent patient care being provided in our hospitals during this pandemic.”
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“We continue to work around the clock with our caregivers, local and state government officials, and the local healthcare community to keep our hospitals open and safe, and ready to meet the medical needs of the communities we serve in Pinellas County and along the west coast of Florida.
Our bedside caregivers are actively engaged in providing us feedback and suggestions for improving safety as well as the patient and caregiver experience in our hospitals through huddles and formal communications processes such as our caregiver and safety surveys.”
The other two hospitals listed in the complaint to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) include the St. Petersburg General Hospital and the Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg.
OSHA enforces health regulations in the workplace and the complaint was filed by the National Nurses Organizing Committee – Florida, an affiliate of NNU.
As the Florida Phoenix previously reported, the registered nurses cited a series of unsafe conditions, from staff shortages and inadequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to improper isolation of COVID-19 patients and threats against nurses who report “unsafe patient care practices.”
McKell said the allegations from nurses “are false” and that the hospital continues to “exceed the (federal) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Florida Department of Health guidelines in providing personal protective equipment” for its caregivers.
This story was originally published by the Florida Phoenix. For more stories from the Florida Phoenix, visit FloridaPhoenix.com.
