Utah Valley Regional Medical Center Fires 2 Nurses Who Taped Patient’s Mouth Shut

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, an Intermountain Healthcare facility in Provo, Utah, has fired two nurses following reports they allegedly taped a patient’s mouth shut and laughed about the matter, according to a Washington Post report.

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Earlier this month, Penny Artalejo was admitted to Utah Valley Regional with nausea and anxiety caused by medication for her chronic neck pain, according to the report. Ms. Artalejo later reported to her daughters that two nurses told her to shut up, taped her mouth closed and laughed about the possibility of being caught and fired, according to the report.

 

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The next day, the daughters reported the incident to a nurse manager, who allegedly denied the accusation. The daughter proceeded to file a complaint with hospital management.

A Utah Valley Regional spokeswoman said a full investigation has been launched and the two nurses have since been fired. The incident has also been reported to the state Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

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