Understaffed hospitals in California are suspending nurses just when they need them most — and volunteers aren't being deployed Business Insider

HCA Healthcare — the country's largest healthcare system — suspended registered nurse Jhonna Porter earlier this month for posting about her floor's coronavirus protocol in a private Facebook group. HCA Healthcare said she had violated its social media policy as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, which mandates that healthcare workers keep patient information private.

The hospital has since reinstated Porter and another suspended nurse. But Porter told Business Insider that the hospital has since furloughed contract nurses working on a per diem basis. As a result, Porter said, nurses have been working without breaks while each of them cares for about three COVID-19 patients every day.

Porter said she asked her boss for permission to work extra hours and was denied. The floor has not received help from volunteer staff or private staffing agencies, she added. "Our floor is short-staffed and everyone is missing their breaks," Porter said.  Read more at Business Insider.