The Whistle Blower Nurse And The Endangered Infants

There is no doubt that one of the most interesting cases to us is that of a whistleblower. It seems that another courageous whistleblower has stepped forward at the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida when she observed wrongdoing that could cause potential harm to infants being treated in the neonatal unit.

Kristin Laney, a 22 year hospital employee discovered that tracheal intubation tubes being used in the neonatal unit were mislabeled. Once placed into the airway of an infant, this made the tube appear to be inserted deeper than it really was. This was due to the fact the intubation tubes in question were really not designed for use with infants! Most supervisors would thank an employee who brought such wrongdoing to their attention, right? That was not the case at the Children's Hospital. Rather than commend Ms. Laney for her quick thinking and keen observation, several of those in management positions began to build a case against her for insubordination and for not following proper procedures. Her employment was subsequently terminated on April 17th this year.

Her Attorneys filed a suit in the US District Court on October 14. While management is defending their practices saying that "…she participated in the health system's internal appeal process and had the full opportunity to present information she thought relevant as part of that process...", it's clear to us that Nurse Laney was targeted for blowing the whistle.

To us, whistleblowers are among the most courageous workers in corporate America. Often unsafe and unethical practices go unchecked because people choose to remain silent when they shouldn’t. They fear losing their job, losing their income and losing their credibility. But thankfully there are still people like Kristin Laney in the world.

According to the complaint which has been filed the lawsuit seeks for Laney and others who've been terminated without the necessary due process to be reinstated, either permanently or pending the completion of the termination process which is in accordance with due process requirements. Specifically she is seeking a reversal of her termination, lost wages and any other compensatory damages.

It is our hope that this courageous nurse will be victorious. If she is the winner, she will not be the only one. The safety of those infants who will be cared for in the future will also be secured.