(NECN: Katie Daly) – Nurses at St. Vincent Hospital launched a campaign to warn the public about safety risks. Risks they say are due to a new policy that allows care of patients in hallways.
Nurses lined the streets surrounding St. Vincent Hospital Monday handing out fliers to passersby. The fliers outline the Massachusetts Nurses Association’s opposition to the hospitals latest policy that would in some cases allow patients to be cared for in the hallways of inpatient units.
“This is not the way nurses want to provide care at St. Vincent hospital it too risky.”
Marlena Pellegrino has been a nurse for 22 years. She is outraged by the hospital’s policy and says it puts her patients in danger.
According the Massachusetts Nurses Association, so far only one patient has been cared for in the hallway, but they say that is one too many.
St. Vincent Hospital says that the Massachusetts Nurses Association in mis-characterizing the new policy and released a statement today.
Pellegrino says that if she were asked to care for a patient in the hallway –she would refuse and call her supervisor. She says she understands the hospital is faced with over crowding issues but the policy needs to change.
