More than a dozen nurses have been sacked and another disciplined at a Washington state children\u2019s hospital after a 12-year-old patient took her own life at the facility.<\/p>\n
Sarah Niyimbona, a compassionate, \u201coutspoken\u201d middle schooler, died April 13<\/a> after slipping out of her room at Providence Sacred Heart Children\u2019s Hospital in Spokane and jumping from the fourth floor of a parking garage, according to a report.<\/p>\n Niyimbona had been admitted to the emergency room multiple times in 2024 for suicide attempts, The Spokesman-Review said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sarah Niyimbona, 12, had been to the emergency room several times in 2024 for suicide attempts before her death in April. KXLY<\/p>\n The hospital allegedly removed key safety measures despite her history of self-harm \u2014 including a round-the-clock sitter, a video monitor and a door alarm \u2014 and failed to properly supervise her the night she died, Investigate West reported<\/a>, citing a lawsuit filed by the family. <\/p>\n \u201cI ask what happened. How come she left the room without anybody seeing her? How come she walked all the way to the elevator without anybody seeing her?\u201d her mother, Nasra Gertrude, told the outlet.<\/p>\n \u201cThey haven\u2019t given me any answer at all. I trusted this hospital to take care of my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n Fifteen nurses have since been fired, and another disciplined, amid questions over how Niyimbona was able to leave her room undetected, according to the Spokesman-Review.<\/a><\/p>\n Hospital brass claim the nurses improperly accessed Niyimbona\u2019s medical records without being directly involved in her care, a potential violation of the federal privacy law HIPAA.<\/p>\n Providence Sacred Heart Children\u2019s Hospital says 15 nurses were fired for improperly accessing Niyimbona\u2019s medical records. KREM2<\/p>\n The Washington State Nurses Association, which represents the staffers, claims the firings were \u201cretaliation\u201d against nurses who spoke to the media<\/a> after Niyimbona\u2019s death.<\/p>\n The union said the nurses have filed a grievance, a process that \u201ccould take a long time\u201d to resolve.<\/p>\n Providence spokesperson Jen York told the Spokesman-Review the terminations were about protecting patient privacy, saying the hospital reviews conduct and takes \u201cappropriate action, including termination of employment, where warranted.\u201d<\/p>\n The Washington State Nurses Association argues the firings targeted staff who spoke to the media after Niyimbona\u2019s death.<\/p>\n A state Department of Health investigation into Niyimbona\u2019s death is ongoing. <\/p>\n In a statement to The Post, Providence said it launched an internal investigation after Niyimbona\u2019s death and implemented new protocols, including suicide risk screening for all patients and procedures for locating missing patients.\u00a0<\/p>\n Niyimbona was remembered on a GoFundMe page<\/a> as a \u201cshining light\u201d who \u201ctouched the hearts of everyone she met.\u201d<\/p>\n