Nurses at Wichita, Kan.-based Ascension Via Christi St. Francis are raising safety concerns about the hospital's security measures after a man was accused of entering the hospital and raping three patients, KWCH reported June 23.
Miguel Rodela, who was not employed by or a patient at the hospital, was discovered in the building around 1:57 a.m. June 15, Wichita police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo told The Wichita Eagle. Mr. Rodela fought with security guards, battering two of them, before police arrived, Mr. Rebolledo said, adding it was unclear how Mr. Rodela entered the hospital. KWCH reported he was charged with four counts of rape and two counts of battery.
Nurses at two Wichita hospitals are planning a one-day strike June 27 — 650 nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital and 300 nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph Hospital are expected to participate. They told the news outlet safety is their first concern and one of the main reasons for the strike.
"These are concerns that nurses have had for a long time. We've been to management. Unfortunately, this is a trend that's continuing, and it's getting worse," Lisa Watson, RN, a nurse at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, told KWCH. "Anything that would make nurses and patients feel safe in the hospital, but when they're publicly avoiding things like rapes in the hospital, they're not going to get people to work here."
Nurses said they're concerned about what they call a lack of transparency and want to see changes.
Ascension Via Christi said in a statement to KWCH that "the safety of our patients and associates is of the utmost importance to us. We continue to review our security measures and implement new procedures and workplace safety education for all of our associates as opportunities for improvement are identified."