Nurse Claims Hospital Gave Babies to Wrong Parents—Then Fired Her for Reporting It

A New Jersey nurse claims she was terminated for doing what nurses do best catching mistakes before they turn into disasters.

Joyce Fisher, a nurse with more than 16 years of experience, claims she was wrongfully terminated from Virtua Voorhees Hospital after reporting that two newborns were accidentally swapped and breastfed by the wrong moms.

Virtua Voorhees Hospital has not issued a public response directly addressing the specific lawsuit allegations as of the latest reporting, and the case is pending in court.

According to her lawsuit, filed August 27 in Camden County Superior Court, Fisher walked into her July 5th shift like any other morning. But things went sideways fast.

“Two babies had been swapped, placed in the incorrect rooms, and breastfed by the incorrect mothers,” the lawsuit states. Yes—you read that right. The babies were accidentally switched. 

The Mix-Up

When Fisher arrived at 7 a.m., the night nurse (referred to as Nurse A) told her two infants had been taken to the nursery overnight but were returned to their rooms. Fisher assumed standard ID checks, matching the baby’s bracelet with mom’s, had been done.

She went about her rounds, doing assessments, checking on moms, and even noted one mom actively breastfeeding. So she didn’t interrupt. But when she circled back to discharge her first patient, Fisher was met by a panicked mom. The bracelet on the baby’s wrist didn’t have her child’s name. Cue every nurse’s worst “oh sh*t” moment.

Fisher rushed the infant to the nursery and quickly confirmed what no one wants to hear: the babies had been swapped. Both moms had already nursed the wrong child.

Fisher Did What Nurses Do—She Reported It

According to the lawsuit, Fisher followed protocol immediately and she alerted the mother-baby coordinator, supervisor, and pediatrician. The hospital then rolled out its “breast milk mismanagement” protocol, which included infectious disease testing for both babies.

Despite her quick action, Fisher says the hammer came down on her.

She was suspended just two days later and then fired on July 10.

The lawsuit argues that Fisher “should not be left holding the bag for the hospital’s own failures.”

Even the moms involved allegedly told Fisher they knew she wasn’t at fault. But, according to Fisher, her supervisor grilled her about not checking baby ID bracelets at the start of her shift, which is something she says she was never trained to do.

Hospital Statement

“We are deeply committed to fostering a fair and just culture where every colleague is empowered and encouraged to speak up about safety concerns without fear of retaliation. Reporting incidents that may impact the safety of our patients or colleagues is both supported and expected as part of our shared responsibility to uphold the highest standards of care.

While we do not comment on pending legal matters or individual personnel decisions, we can say that every situation is thoroughly reviewed, and decisions are made with integrity, compassion, and in alignment with our values.  We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe, respectful, and transparent environment for all who work and receive care within our health system.” - Dr. Jennifer Khelil, chief clinical officer, Virtua Health

What's Next?

If Fisher wins her case, it could set a precedent protecting nurses who speak up about patient safety issues. And honestly, if hospitals start firing the nurses who actually prevent harm? Well, who’s going to be left watching out for the patients?

🤔 Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.