Fellow Nurses Africa | Lagos, Nigeria | 29 September 2025
BREAKING: HCA Florida Takes Legal Action Against University Over Deadly Training Failure
In a shocking case that’s sending ripples through the healthcare industry, HCA Florida West Marion Hospital has filed a lawsuit against Rasmussen University after a nursing student’s unauthorized actions led to the death of an elderly patient.
What Happened?
On April 22, 2023, nursing student Knowles (now an RN) allegedly attempted to move an 82-year-old woman into a bed without assistance, proper training, or authorization. The patient wasn’t even assigned to the floor where the student was working.
The devastating result: The woman fell, suffered a severe subdural hematoma (brain bleed), and subsequently died from her injuries.
The lawsuit, filed just days ago in September 2025, claims:
- Inadequate supervision of nursing students during clinical rotations
- Insufficient training before placing students in patient care situations
- Lack of proper protocols to prevent unauthorized patient contact
- The student made no attempt to learn about the patient’s condition before acting
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- Are nursing schools properly preparing students before placing them in hospitals?
- Who is responsible when student errors result in patient harm?
- How much supervision should nursing students have during clinical training?
- Could this happen at your local hospital?
With nationwide nursing shortages pushing schools to graduate more nurses faster, this lawsuit could set a precedent for how much liability educational institutions bear for their students’ actions during clinical training.
Healthcare experts are watching closely as this case could reshape nursing education standards across the country.
Location: HCA Florida West Marion Hospital, 4600 SW 46th Ct, Ocala, FL
Filed: September 2025
Status: Ongoing litigation
This is a developing story. The outcome could impact nursing education protocols nationwide.
Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African Nurses. We educate, inform and support the nursing profession.
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
