The Ohio Nurses Association is demanding an independent investigation into senior leadership at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, citing what it describes as a pattern of safety failures.
The union’s demand was made during a Dec. 2 meeting of the medical center’s board of trustees, according to a Dec. 3 statement shared with Becker’s. ONA alleged that system leaders have failed to adequately respond to safety risks, including attacks on staff and a Nov. 6 incident involving a visitor and a nurse.
“Staff report being screamed at, chased and assaulted while navigating dark, poorly lit walkways with minimal security,” ONA said. “In multiple cases, police reports were not filed, and leadership failed to respond transparently or with urgency.”
ONA also claimed the nurse involved in the November incident was denied trauma-informed treatment following the event. ONA President Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, a staff nurse at the medical center, said the concerns extend beyond isolated events and reflect broader systemic issues. The union claims these failures are exacerbated by ongoing facility expansions without corresponding increases in staffing or workforce support.
In a Dec. 3 statement shared with Becker’s, OSU Wexner Medical Center called ONA’s narrative “categorically false” and outlined steps it has taken to strengthen safety across its facilities.
The medical center said the Nov. 6 incident involved a visitor exhibiting disruptive behavior while holding a newborn. Nurses, hospital security and university police responded quickly to de-escalate the situation and ensure the child’s safety, the medical center said. The visitor was taken to the emergency department for evaluation.
“We are grateful for our nurses’ skill and professionalism in dealing with this challenging situation,” the medical center said. “As the [surveillance] video shows, they expertly used their training to help calm a difficult situation and ensure a baby was safely returned to its mother.”
After the incident occurred and the man was removed from the nursing unit, steps in the post-event notification procedures were missed, “which regrettably delayed the delivery of some of our support services for the nurse and other involved staff until the next morning,” the medical center said, adding that the hospital is taking steps to ensure a similar delay does not occur in the future.
In response to broader workplace safety concerns, OSU Wexner cited multiple measures, including the creation of a workplace safety steering committee in 2017 and implementation of best-practice security protocols. Between 2021 and 2024, calls for assistance with disruptive behavior declined 22% and incidents requiring formal reports dropped 30%, adjusted for patient volume, according to the medical center.
Recent and upcoming safety measures include:
- New weapons-detection technology at all public hospital entrances
- Updated de-escalation and crisis prevention training
- A 20% increase in security staffing
- New visitor management system requiring photo ID and badges for all adult visitors
- Hiring of a workplace safety officer and ambulatory security supervisor
“We take all safety incidents seriously and we remain committed to having industry-leading security practices that are effective and stringently followed and working with our team members to keep our medical center as safe as possible,” the medical center said.
