Hospital Officials Address Arrest of Nurse who Refused to Draw Blood

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Officials at a Utah hospital where a nurse was arrested after refusing to allow police to draw blood from an unconscious patient apologized that security officers didn't intervene and said Monday that they have implemented policy changes to prevent it from happening again. The announcements mark the latest fallout from nurse Alex Wubbels' release last week of July 26 video from a Salt Lake City police officer's body camera showing him dragging her from University of Utah Hospital and handcuffing her. The officer has been put on leave, and his agency has apologized. Hospital CEO Gordon Crabtree said changes took effect in August that allow only senior nursing supervisors to speak with law enforcement and ban conversations with police in patient care areas. Officials spoke publicly for the first time to make it clear that the hospital took action long before Wubbels released the video, said Crabtree, who called the officer's actions out of line. "There's absolutely no tolerance for that kind of behavior in our hospital," Crabtree said. "Nurse Wubbels was placed in an unfair and unwarranted positon. ... Her actions are nothing less than exemplary." Meanwhile, University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said none of his officers at the hospital have been disciplined but will receive additional training in the wake of the arrest. Wubbels has said she released the video her attorneys received through a public records request partly becaus...
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Patient Care News Source Type: news