Nurses at United Hospital have reported they’ve been disciplined for wearing hospital-issued surgical scrubs instead of their own, because they are worried about carrying the virus home and infecting their families and loved ones.
Cliff Willmeng, 50, said he was terminated on Friday for violating hospital policies and expectations, because he wore hospital-issued scrubs and intervened on behalf of other nurses who were disciplined for doing so.
“Hospital-issued scrubs are an infection prevention measure,” Willmeng said. “That's why they're in the hospital.”
Willmeng, an emergency department nurse and union steward, said the incident is part of a pattern of hospital administrators placing profits over the protection of employees.
In a statement, Allina Health, which owns United, said it's following the latest state and federal guidance on personal protective equipment, and doesn’t consider hospital-issued scrubs to be PPE.