ABC6 Exclusive: Zambarano hospital employee speaks out about alleged nursing assistant abuse of disabled patient

April 6, 2016 11:57 pm

By:Kirsten Glavin

kglavin@abc6.com

@kirstenglavin

A Zambarano hospital employee, who is choosing to remain anonymous, tells ABC6 News exclusively that workers are disturbed, but not shocked, that 40-year-old Lynda Proietti is accused of verbally and physically abusing two different patients. She says Proietti had been known to bully her own staff.

"She was bullying other staff, and I don’t believe any of us thought, because there’s not one of us like that, that she would bully a client."

In January, staff said they witnessed Proietti getting aggressive with a patient, while changing his bed, then verbally aggressive toward a patient with dementia, and another with a brain injury.

"They were noticing one staff member in particular being overly aggressive with patients, and verbally abusive," said Joseph Philbin, Major Detective Commander of the Rhode Island State Police.

The hospital employee ABC6 spoke with explained they’re understaffed and fighting over the hiring process has led to this unfortunate situation. "The higher-ups and the unions cannot make a decision or a compromise. Hire people, and the right people, to work with these clients. And so, this is what you get."

According to State Police, those abused were not able to talk to describe what happened to them, but staff could not stay silent.

"Well say it came to changing their bed. They were moving the patient around in a pretty aggressive manner, almost causing injury to the patient," said Major Philbin.