Lawsuit alleges Portland ER nurse was fired after warning of blood shortages for trauma patients

Claims focus on staffing, emergency preparedness and retaliation allegations at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center

A former emergency room charge nurse has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging he was terminated after repeatedly raising safety issues at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center in Northwest Portland, including warnings that operational strain could leave the hospital without adequate blood for trauma patients.

The suit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, describes a workplace where the nurse says chronic understaffing and gaps in security support increased risks for both employees and patients. The complaint also describes a culture in which concerns elevated through internal channels were allegedly not addressed, and where the nurse contends the hospital shifted to disciplinary measures after he continued to report problems.

What the nurse says he reported

In the filing, the nurse—identified as Joshua Bramblett—alleges he raised multiple issues tied to emergency department readiness. Among them: an assertion that staffing levels and workflow pressures could impair the hospital’s ability to respond to major trauma cases, including maintaining sufficient blood availability for rapid transfusion when minutes matter.

The complaint also details repeated concerns about workplace violence and the adequacy of security response in the emergency department. The nurse alleges that as assaults and threats increased, security staffing and practices did not keep pace with conditions on the floor.

• The lawsuit alleges the nurse repeatedly reported safety concerns through management channels.
• It frames the concerns as both employee-safety and patient-care issues, tied to emergency readiness.
• It contends the hospital did not implement effective corrective changes after the reports.

Termination and the events leading up to it

The lawsuit links the termination to an incident in August 2022 involving a combative patient. The nurse alleges he acted to retrieve hospital blankets and protect himself from being struck, while security did not intervene to assist. He was later accused of using excessive force and of patient abuse, according to the complaint.

The suit further states the hospital reviewed video footage, ended his employment, and reported the matter to the Oregon State Board of Nursing. It also describes an appeal process in which the nurse maintained he followed policy and that the description of his actions was exaggerated.

The case is a civil dispute in which the nurse alleges retaliation; the hospital’s actions, as described in the filing, include termination and a report to the state nursing regulator.

Broader context for Portland-area hospitals

The case enters an environment where hospitals nationwide have reported rising workplace violence and where emergency departments face sustained pressure from patient volume, staffing constraints, and operational bottlenecks. Within Oregon, state regulators maintain complaint pathways related to hospital staffing and healthcare facility conditions, and professional licensing boards review allegations involving individual clinicians’ conduct.

Because the lawsuit is ongoing, the allegations have not been tested in court. Key questions likely to be examined include what the nurse reported, how the hospital evaluated those reports, whether discipline was consistent with policy and comparable cases, and whether protected safety reporting was a factor in the employment decision.

The litigation could also draw scrutiny to how hospitals balance patient-rights obligations, staff safety, and emergency preparedness—particularly when disagreements arise over what constitutes appropriate care and use of force during volatile emergency-room encounters.