15 Nurses Fired After Child’s Suicide at Hospital—Union Accuses Hospital of Retaliation

Disclaimer: This story discusses suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, text TALK to 988, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources. 

 

Washington’s largest nurses union is accusing Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane of retaliating against staff following the suicide of a 12-year-old patient on hospital grounds earlier this year.

The hospital recently fired 15 nurses and disciplined at least one more, alleging they accessed the patient’s medical records without being directly involved in her care. But the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) says the terminations came after staff raised concerns about the child’s treatment — and followed public criticism of the hospital’s psychiatric care system.

A Tragic Death, Followed by Fallout

On April 13, Sarah June Niyimbona, who had been receiving intermittent psychiatric care at Sacred Heart for self-harm and suicidal behavior over the prior eight months, slipped out of her room on the pediatric floor around 5:30 p.m. Her exit reportedly did not trigger an alarm. Alone and unsupervised, she walked about a quarter mile to the top level of a hospital parking garage and jumped. She died two hours later in the emergency room.

At the time, Sarah was being housed in a general pediatric unit instead of a dedicated psychiatric facility. Sacred Heart had closed its adolescent psychiatric unit just months earlier — a decision that drew warnings from nurses, doctors, and community advocates.

“We said this is what was going to happen,” said former nurse in the children’s psychiatric unit, Kaili Timperley. “We said their plan was not an adequate plan. You can’t just put these kids in a medical room and expect everything to be OK.”

The psychiatric unit had been designed for safety, with multiple locked doors and staff trained in behavioral health. In its place, two rooms in the pediatric unit were repurposed for psychiatric use, but pediatric nurses said those spaces lacked essential safety features — including secure doors — and that they received no specialized training for treating children in mental health crises.

“WSNA expressed concern about a decision that was based on the financial bottom line at the expense of the community’s needs,” said WSNA Executive Director David Keepnews.

Staff described Sarah’s care as isolating and limited, with little therapeutic support or social engagement. Most of her time was spent alone in her room. While she was previously assigned two “sitters” — including one monitoring her via camera — the camera was removed weeks before her death, and the in-person sitter was discontinued in early April. Days later, she left her room undetected and died.

Nurses Say Firings Were Retaliatory

Providence says the employees who were terminated or disciplined violated HIPAA by accessing Sarah’s chart without being part of her assigned care team. But the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) says many of those nurses were fulfilling their clinical responsibilities — and that Sacred Heart’s actions came amid heightened internal scrutiny following media coverage of the suicide.

“We reject Providence Sacred Heart’s claims that privacy was violated by nurses who were doing their jobs to assist in efforts to save the life of a 12-year-old girl,” said Keepnews.

Some nurses reported being questioned about whether they had spoken to reporters. One said she was accused of being "spiteful and sneaky" — a claim she denied.

Former staff members also say additional employees beyond the 15 nurses were terminated or disciplined in connection with the same case. Providence has not said how many total staff were affected.

Privacy or Punishment?

One former employee — not a nurse — said she had already left the hospital for another job when Providence told her she had violated patient privacy. She said she clicked into Sarah’s chart after learning of her death, seeking to understand what had happened after caring for the girl nearly every shift.

“I probably shouldn't have been in her chart. But at the same time, it also felt like I should have known what happened, because I was working with her so often,” she told InvestigateWest.

The evening Sarah died, Sacred Heart sent a staff-wide “news alert” instructing employees not to discuss the incident publicly and to avoid accessing medical records unless directly involved in care. It’s unclear if all employees received that message.

Providence did not address the union’s retaliation claims, but a spokesperson said potential privacy breaches are handled “very seriously” and that employee actions are reviewed individually, with termination applied when warranted.

Union Files Grievance

WSNA has filed a formal grievance seeking reinstatement for the fired nurses. Under Providence policy, employees terminated for privacy violations are not eligible for rehire. If those incidents are reported to licensing boards, affected nurses could also face license suspension or loss.

State Investigation Finds Pattern of Risk

Following media reports on Sarah’s death, the Washington Department of Health opened an investigation into Sacred Heart. Inspectors found that the hospital had endangered at least three other suicidal patients this year and failed to follow its own safety protocols.

Findings included poor screening, inadequate supervision, and delays in the hospital’s response after Sarah left her room. The state closed the investigation after Sacred Heart made required changes to its procedures.

Legal Action Ongoing

Sarah’s family has filed a lawsuit against Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, alleging medical malpractice and negligence. The case remains open.

The complaint states that “Providence's violations of the standard of care injured and/or led to the death of plaintiff Sarah Niyimbona.” It also accuses the hospital of failing to adopt and follow policies needed to safely monitor and care for youth experiencing mental health crises.

Because Sarah had been labeled a flight risk, her door was equipped with an alarm intended to alert staff if she tried to leave. But the lawsuit alleges that Providence “failed to properly utilize and monitor alarms in Sarah's room allowing her to escape on the early evening of April 13, 2025.”

Her family is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering, funeral costs, and other losses.

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