A former lead emergency room nurse at Portland, Ore.-based Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center filed a whistleblower lawsuit Jan. 8, accusing the hospital of firing him after repeatedly raising concerns about workplace safety.
Joshua Bramblett, RN, a former charge nurse in the hospital's emergency room, claims he was fired after defending co-workers who were being threatened or attacked by patients. Mr. Bramblett alleges he reported concerns to management multiple times, citing "inadequate staffing" and "disproportionate effort by security guards," according to the legal complaint, which was obtained by the Willamette Week.. Hospital management failed to make changes to improve safety and staffing concerns, according to the complaint, which referenced a shooting at the hospital that killed a security guard last summer.
The complaint also describes an alleged incident in 2022 in which "guards took a passive role," allowing an attacker to lunge at Mr. Bramblett and his co-worker. After reporting the incident to hospital security and management, the nurse claims he was fired after being accused of using "excessive force" against patients.
He is seeking $810,000 in damages. The complaint was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
"Safety and healing are always our top priorities," Legacy Health said in a statement shared with Becker's. "While violence in the workplace is growing nationwide, this unfortunately is not a new trend in the healthcare industry. For years, Legacy has worked to continually bolster our safety and security for our staff and for our patients, and we are deeply committed to continue that work today, tomorrow and long into the future.
"Regarding the allegations made in this complaint, we will respond in the appropriate legal venue."