Day 7: The Confederate Nurses Enterprise - A Thought Experiment
Mar 24, 2026
As of today, March 24, 2026 two hundred and seventeen days have passed since the verdict in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne, the landmark case at the intersection of racism in nursing, workplace mobbing and Civil Rights.
The enterprise hasn’t commented on the verdict in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne. They’ve never acknowledged the facts underlying the case, or even responded to direct outreach by several people over several years, which leads to the obvious question: What’s their strategy?
We can only speculate, so I developed a list of ten potential reasons why the enterprise hasn’t said anything about Joppy v. HCA HealthOne. We’re exploring each of these ten possible reasons over ten business days, and after six days evidence shows:
- The enterprise has been aware of Joppy v. HCA HealthOne since early to mid 2022, when Joppy’s claims of race discrimination and retaliation were filed in US District Court;
- The enterprise is at least aware of the issues in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne, i.e. race discrimination and retaliation in the nursing workplace;
- The enterprise may not understand or appreciate the legal and historical significance of Joppy v. HCA HealthOne, which if true is a dereliction of duty.
- The enterprise does more than just comment about ongoing cases. According to their CNO, “(W)e often have outreach with the individual or their representative or their attorney and we let them tell us what would be most helpful, particularly when it’s a legal issue.”
- The enterprise and AACN policies regarding what issues they choose to speak on and who they choose to advocate for are confusing and contradictory. The enterprise and AACN say they don’t comment about cases involving individual nurses or workplace disciplinary issues, and only focus on issues of concern to the nursing profession. Why don’t the enterprise and AACN consider the racism and mobbing evidenced in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne as issues of concern to the nursing profession? Do the enterprise and AACN consider racism and mobbing in the nursing workplace as issues of concern for patient safety and community health? The enterprise and AACN openly voiced support for a nurse found guilty of negligent manslaughter and abuse of an impaired adult, who was also disciplined with termination and loss of license.
- If the enterprise is silent because it finds the racism and workplace mobbing evident in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne disturbing, disquieting and/or uncomfortable, that’s evidence of moral failure from an org that says it serves the interests of over five million registered nurses. It’s cowardice.
Here’s what remains for us to explore this week as potential reasons why the enterprise hasn't commented on the verdict in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne, has never acknowledged the facts underlying the case or even responded to direct outreach by several people over several years:
- The enterprise fears Joppy v. HCA HealthOne undermines its branding;
- The enterprise fears it might upset its most dominant demographic if it mentions Joppy v. HCA HealthOne;
- The enterprise is aligned with the Defendant in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne;
- The enterprise has a financial conflict regarding Joppy v. HCA HealthOne
Today is Day 7, so let’s see if the enterprise is silent because Joppy v. HCA HealthOne undermines its branding.
- Joppy v. HCA HealthOne undermines the enterprise’s branding
Testimony and other evidence in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne call into question the myth of “most trusted profession” and even worse turns “the power of nurses” into a creepy threat - “the power to do what?!?”
Testimony in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne also calls into question the purpose and value of magnet(tm) and Daisy. Both magnet(tm) and Daisy are considered best practices by the enterprise but as ineffective jokes or worse by many nurses posting on social media.
“Been magnet for about 4-6 yrs . It does absolutely nothing for nursing. Same turnover, same problems. It gives the illusion of nurse empowerment.”
“Magnet LOVES their nurses on committees. Two thoughts on that. Those meetings are NEVER at night so that precludes night shift nurses from being able to attend without interrupting their sleep schedules or their days off. Also, my experience with committees is that if a suggestion will cost the hospital a dollar and/or it will require even minimal effort in the form of cooperation from another department, there is a less than 1% chance the suggestion will ever be put into effect. It’s a great forum to circle jerk complaints but other than that they are an utter waste of time. (Note: If grade school art projects are your thing they are great for creating and churning out ‘Captain Obvious’ posters like “Wash Your Hands.”)”
“What upsets me is that Magnet is used as a marketing tool where they say that accreditation attracts nurses as a place they would want to work. That’s complete bullshit. I have worked at three places that were not Magnet when I started there and were Magnet when I left. What was the difference? Not a damn thing. As far as I am concerned, Magnet status means only one thing. The check from the hospital marketing department to the accreditation agency cleared.”
“I've busted my ass in step down hell for 9 yrs. Deep in the trenches… I finally got a Daisy, for wheeling the nurse manager's aunt out for discharge. ??? What??! Stupid Daisy. I still wear the Daisy pin and think of 9 yrs of crazy experiences and not some bullshit of wheeling out the managers's aunt. I award myself the Daisy for the time I got a naked man to climb out of the trash can when no one else could :)”
“I was nominated by several patients over a span of time. I was never awarded a daisy award however as I wasn’t in the “it girl” clique at work. Where I worked you receiving the daisy simply meant you were in the popular it crowd, not that you were actually a good nurse. Sad.”
“Why does it matter? Daisy Awards are one of the largest jokes around in healthcare. Just after hospital administration and The Joint Commission.”
Also according to witness testimony in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne
From Day 3 Transcript, Page 728, lines 12-25: Page 729, lines 1-6 regarding magnet(tm)
Questions by Attorney for the Plaintiff
Answers by Witness Paul Page, RN
Q Okay. Now, you stepped down from being (TMCA ICU) manager at some point. Do you remember when that was?
A I'm trying to address -- see, I know it was late April (2019) sometime. They wanted me to stay on until late April because we had a hospital-wide survey that needed to have some leadership there to help with the survey. And so I decided to stay on until they left, and then I stepped down, yes.
Q Was that the survey that concerned Just Culture?
A No. It's something called magnet. It's a designation that nurses -- the nurse's governing board gives hospitals for excellent nursing care or something like that.
Q Why did you want to step down?
A As I explained earlier what about was happening in the ICU, I was spending 60, 70 hours a week trying to fix things, mainly fix staffing. I was -- I was -- that was what my main focus was, and I was trying to help the nightshift and dayshift. I was working a lot, and I was -- I was done. I needed a better life, so I stepped down.
Q Thank you. No further questions at this time.
Also according to witness testimony in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne
From Day 5 Transcript, Page 1138, lines 5-25 and Page 1139, lines 3 - 17 regarding Daisy
Questions by Attorney for Plaintiff
Answers by Witness Nikki Schoolcraft, RN
A You became the interim supervisor with Mandi Hayes in April of 2019; is that right?
A Correct.
Q And you took over for Paul Page?
A Yes.
Q Now, it's true that usually a supervisor (at a magnet(tm) hospital) has to have a bachelor's degree; is that right?
A No.
Q A manager (at a magnet(tm) hospital) has to have a bachelor's degree; is that right?
A Correct.
Q And Breanne Burley was your boss?
A Yes.
Q All right. You were -- so you were the interim supervisor in April of 2019 all the way to 2021; is that right?
A Yes.
Q Do you still work for The Medical Center of Aurora?
A No.
Q Where do you work?
A Parker Adventist.
Q When did you leave Aurora?
A I don't have the dates in my head. Maybe the end of 2021.
Q When you were interim supervisor (of the ICU), you were supervisor over Ms. Joppy; is that correct?
A Yes.
Q And she made reports to you about the treatment of other nurses; is that right?
A Not while I was in that position, but prior to that, yes.
Q So she has made reports to you about --
A Yes.
Q -- other nurses, correct?
A Yes.
Q Thanks. And you never escalated those to HR, correct?
A Not to HR.
Q And you don't know if any investigation was done into those concerns, right?
A I do not.
Q It's my understanding that you've received a Daisy award?
A Yes.
Q What was that for?
A I think a colleague nominated me for helping a patient that was in need of just like some personal care.
Q And it's also my understanding you've received a couple of corrective actions or disciplinary actions at Aurora hospital?
MR BARR: Objection, Your Honor, misstates the record, and it's totally irrelevant.
THE COURT: Well, there is no -- overruled. There's no record. Go ahead. You may proceed.
A Not at The Medical Center of Aurora, no.
Q (By MS. SANFORD) I'd like to show you -- not the jury yet, because I don't think it's been admitted -- Exhibit 97. Have you received a corrective action at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center?
A Yes.
BARR: Objection. This is all irrelevant, Your Honor.
THE COURT: Sustained.
Also according to witness testimony in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne
From Day 4 Transcript, Page 1059, lines 7 - 17 regarding Daisy
Questions by Attorney for the Defendant
Answer by DonQuenick Joppy, RN
Q Well, you told (Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner) Russell that your use of Adderall made you tired and sluggish during your shifts at work in late 2018, correct?
A He was trying to adjust medications that I was on, and I was giving him feedback, and so he switched my medication, but it didn't affect my work. I just said I felt tired, but I was still able to perform in that time, still getting Daisies.
Q Now, you said you were nominated for Daisies. You never received a Daisy award, correct?
A No. I never received the actual national recognition, no. But nomination within that hospital, yes.
Q Now, we talked about the concerns that were outlined in the performance improvement plan. Mr. Page was also concerned about the fact that you would share too much personal information with patients, correct?
A That's what they --
Q Remember that?
A I also received an award for that.** I would share my experience as a -- not as a patient, but as someone watching their patient, their loved one. And I wasn't oversharing. That's being human and trying to connect with the patient's family and giving them encouragement, because there's life after a critical care -- or a critical event, and encouraging them. And so I was even nominated for sharing and giving that type of advice and coaching.
Q Well, Mr. Page had concerns about it, didn't he?
A It was concerns that Lindsay Jordan brought up to him, and so then he wrote it up.
---
** "DQ has been so amazing to our family and (name). Although being here is hard, she made us feel a lot better. The personal connection that she was able to make with us really made our family a lot stronger.
Going through her husband having cancer, she was able to comfort my mom and I in a way we have never been.
She cared for my dad so well and tried anything and everything she could to help him out of this.
Every time we saw her with anyone else she did the same as well.”
X - Please contact me if my nurse is chosen as a DAISY honoree so that I may attend the celebration
Authors note: The spouse who submitted this nomination in 2017 reached out to DonQuenick by phone after reading about the verdict in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne. I was there during the call, it was a moving conversation between two people with a deep connection.
It’s possible.that the enterprise has remained silent because it fears Joppy v. HCA HealthOne undermines its branding. Testimony and other evidence in the case undermines the myth of “most trusted profession” and makes the latest slogan “the power of nurses” sound like a creepy threat - “the power of nurses to do what?!?”
Testimony in Joppy v. HCA HealthOne also raises questions about the purpose and value of two enterprise "must haves” - Daisy and magnet(tm).
“What happens when the most trusted profession shows it is not trustworthy? What happens when the workplaces certified as most exceptional actually do not appear to be so, especially for Black nurses? How should nurses respond when egregious events occur in workplaces recognized for nursing excellence? Outside of seemingly performative antiracist words, are national nursing organizations accountable to nurses, or do they instead support institutional power? Who should nurses and professional organizations support?”
Tomorrow we’ll speculate - The enterprise fears it might upset its most dominant demographic if it mentions Joppy v. HCA HealthOne
