Two nurses fired from Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cayuga Medical Center are able to return to work — at least temporarily, reports The Ithaca Journal.
Here are five things to know.
1. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy ordered CMC to reinstate the nurses, according to the report. Under the order, both nurses — Anne Marshall, RN, and Loran Lamb, RN — will be able to return to work.
2. In an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review, CMC noted this is an interim order. The hospital said it is"not a final determination" in a National Labor Relations Board case in which the nurses allege unfair labor practices by CMC.
3. The hospital claimed the nurses were fired for violating the organization's blood transfusion policy. However, the nurses contended they did not violate common practice and their union involvement played a role in CMC's decision, according to a news release from the Tompkins County Workers' Center.
4. Commenting on the judge's recent decision, Ms. Marshall said in the release: "I am happy that justice has prevailed and am looking forward to returning to caring for patients."
5. CMC expressed disagreement with the order. "We will be seeking a stay of this decision, as well as filing an appeal with the Circuit Court of Appeals. In the meantime, the case before the National Labor Relations Board remains pending and CMC strongly believes its actions were appropriate based on patient safety and national nursing standards," the hospital said.
Read the judge's full decision here.
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