When faced with a medical condition or illness that requires hospitalization, the last thing patients should have to worry about is whether the hospital is clean and employing properly trained staff. All patients deserve the best medical care possible. This is especially true for those who have served our country. Unfortunately, one veterans’ medical center has recently come under scrutiny for charges stemming from nursing negligence and hospital negligence.

A nurse employed at the veterans’ hospital was cited in multiple incidents for not following orders and endangering patients’ lives. On one occasion, the nurse was cited for a medication error in which she gave a patient a potentially lethal dose of a pain medication. In another instance, it was reported that the nurse failed to follow a doctor’s orders with regard to patient care and medication.

After an investigation into the allegations of nursing misconduct, the nurse in question ended up resigning from the hospital and no further legal action was taken.

The same veterans’ hospital, however, was subsequently cited for additional nursing errors. These errors included a nurse who failed to recognize or take action when a man experienced medical problems during a kidney dialysis treatment. The 58-year-old man subsequently died.

More recently, the veterans’ hospital has come under fire for problems related to the maintenance and sterilization of hospital equipment. In one instance rust was found on surgical equipment. In another, dirty medical instruments lead to the hospital notifying nearly 2,000 veterans that they may have been exposed to deadly diseases including HIV and hepatitis.

Since these infractions were reported, the hospital has added additional staff. The facility also spent roughly $7 million on new sterilization equipment.

Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, “Nurse at Cochran VA Hospital banned from patient care after errors,” Blythe Bernhard, Sept. 14, 2012