Washington Hospital Sacks 15 Nurses After 12-Year-Old Patient Dies By Suicide

Last Updated:August 10, 2025, 17:48 IST

A 12-year-old girl allegedly died by suicide at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Washington on April 13.

Washington State Nurses Association, that represents the staffers, claims the sacking were “retaliation” against nurses who addressed media after teenager's death. (Representative Image)

Following the alleged suicide of a 12-year-old patient at a hospital in Washington, over a dozen nurses have been sacked at the facility, according to a report in New York Post.

On April 13, Sarah Niyimbona, a middle schooler, died after slipping out of her room at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital and jumping from the fourth floor of a parking garage, the report suggests.

The teen had been admitted to the emergency room multiple times in 2024 for suicide attempts, The Spokesman-Review newspaper mentioned.

Despite knowing her tendency for harming herself, the health care facility allegedly removed key safety measures, including a round-the-clock sitter, a video monitor and a door alarm, and failed to properly supervise her the night she killed herself, Investigate West reported, citing a lawsuit filed by the family.

While speaking to Investigate West, Sarah’s mother Nasra Gertrude said, “I ask what happened. How come she left the room without anybody seeing her? How come she walked all the way to the elevator without anybody seeing her?"

“They haven’t given me any answer at all. I trusted this hospital to take care of my daughter," she added.

Since the tragic incident,15 nurses have been fired and another disciplined amid questions over how the minor patient was able to leave her room undetected, the Spokesman-Review reported.

Meanwhile, the Hospital brass claimed the nurses improperly accessed Niyimbona’s medical records without being directly involved in her care, a potential violation of the federal privacy law HIPAA, the New York Post mentioned.

Meanwhile, Washington State Nurses Association, that represents the staffers, claims the sacking were “retaliation" against nurses who addressed media after teenager’s death.

The union said the nurses have filed a grievance, a process that “could take a long time" to resolve.

While speaking to Spokesman-Review, the hospital’s spokesperson Jen York state the terminations were about protecting patient privacy, saying the hospital reviews conduct and takes “appropriate action, including termination of employment, where warranted."

A state Department of Health investigation into Niyimbona’s death is underway.

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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