Nurses at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Ill., are alleging that a recent "boot camp" training was punitive and humiliating, The Herald-News reports.
The Illinois Nurses Association, which represents the workers, said the emergency room training involved forcing nurses to drink water without access to restrooms, as well as nurses sitting on a bedpan in a patient bed for 30 minutes in a public hallway while wearing goggles and headphones to simulate poor vision and hearing, according to the report. The union claims the training was disciplinary after certain patient satisfaction scores.
In response to the experience, the union filed a petition with the hospital contending that the training session violated scheduling provisions in the union contract, The Herald-News reports.
"I think they're looking for better dialogue on these kinds of matters going forward," Chris Martin, spokesman with the INA, said, according to the report.
In a statement provided to The Herald-News, hospital officials said nurses "are held in the highest esteem," and participants found the training "a positive and productive experience." The hospital said the training provided "new best practice insights" that the nurses are eager to implement.
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