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
- 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.
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