HCA Florida West Marion Hospital in Ocala has filed a lawsuit against Bloomington, Minn.-based Rasmussen University, alleging an 82-year-old patient’s death in 2023 was tied to unsupervised action taken by one of the school’s nursing students, Ocala-News.com reported Sept. 23.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 11 in the 5th Judicial Circuit Court of Marion County, claims a Rasmussen nursing student attempted to move a patient into a hospital bed in April 2023. According to the complaint, the student did not “notify the patient’s primary nurse” before attempting to assist the patient, who fell and suffered a severe head injury, which ultimately led to her death.
At the time, the student was enrolled at Rasmussen’s Florida campus, which had a partnership with the hospital whereby nursing students were allowed to train at the facility. The complaint alleges Rasmussen failed to ensure the student followed hospital policies, or training and orientation protocols.
The incident led to a medical malpractice suit, which West Marion Hospital settled for an undisclosed amount in March, according to the complaint. The hospital, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, is seeking an unspecified amount in damages from Rasmussen.
“Rasmussen University and HCA have always worked together to ensure nursing students receive instruction and oversight in a safe, professional environment,” the university said in a statement to Becker’s. “We respectfully disagree with the allegations in HCA’s complaint, which we believe are inaccurate. Rasmussen’s legal counsel has responded through formal filings.”
HCA has not responded to Becker’s requests for comment.
