Bay Area nurse Cynthia Palomata, a veteran correctional working in a
correctional facility, was killed last month by an inmate being brought
in. The incident has given rise to calls that new safety standards be
implemented to assure that correctional nurses are protected from
violent inmates.
Cynthia Palomata worked as a prison nurse at the Contra Costa County
jail in Martinez, CA since 2005. Her family members remember her as
patient, kind, and compassionate woman who loved her work. "When she
took that job, I told her I said 'Aren't you scared dealing with these
people that came out of prison and have problems?' She said 'Auntie,
it's a job,'" remembered Palomata's aunt Venus Dioso. She said that her
niece had tried to soothe the family's fears saying, ""It's not
dangerous, because we have security around all the time."
Palomata had been a nurse for 15 years at San Francisco General
Hospital, and began working at the prison after recovering from an
injury sustained while lifting a patient.
The attack occurred in October when a newly-admitted inmate accused of
burglary, 34 year old Aaron Nygaard of El Cerrito, faked a seizure in
the jail's intake area. Nygaard was tasered in order to bring him under
control, and nurse Palomata was taken to John Muir Hospital and
underwent surgery for her injuries, but she never recovered. The case
has led to concerns about the safety of civilians working with prison
inmates.
"She was a well-respected member of our nursing staff," said Dr. William
Walker, director of Contra Costa Health Services. "Staff safety is the
highest priority, and we continue to work closely with the sheriff's
office to evaluate safety procedures."
This was the second recent death of a Bay Area nurse. On October 23,
Donna Gross, a 54 year old psychiatric technician from Concord, was
robbed and killed at Napa State Hospital. The suspected perpetrator is a
mentally ill patient.
The California Nurses Association said attacks on health care workers
are on the rise and that this and other recent attacks indicate that
workplace safety must be improved through new legislation. A 1993
California law that requires hospitals to have a security plan in place.
The union, however, pointed out that it does not mandate the same
protection in correctional facilities, and it is wants new laws put in
place.
"We can no longer tolerate inadequate security measures which threaten
not only RNs and other staff, but also put families and other patients
at risk," said Kay McVay, president emeritus of the union.
State congress is already on it. State Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi,
D-Hayward, has agreed to introduce a bill on behalf of nurses very soon.
The California Association of Psychiatric Technicians has also said that
it is working with the state Department of Mental Health to "prevent
another tragedy in our state facilities."
Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf commented on the situation last
week, saying he recognized the public's concern over safety in light of
the recent nurse killings. He said that there was no previous indication
that Nygaard would lash out so violently. He had been through the inmate
screening process without an incident before he faked the seizure,
prompting Palomata to rush to his aid. Nygaard, who has no criminal
history, is now facing burglary and murder charges.