Another nurse attacked at UofL Hospital, another example of a bigger problem

The 25-year-old offender was caught on security footage kicking one nurse in the head, and attempting to kick numerous other people.

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Local hospitals say violence against healthcare workers will not be tolerated, but unfortunately for the men and women on the frontlines of our healthcare industry, it seemingly never ends.

Over the weekend a patient at UofL Hospital in downtown Louisville was arrested for assaulting a nurse.

LMPD officers arrested 25-year-old Zoe Chestnut after an incident in the hospital's ambulance bay area around 11:30 PM Saturday night.

According to the citation, hospital security notified officers of an assault involving a healthcare provider. During the investigation, it was determined that Chestnut had been accused of assaulting a nurse who was on her way out of the hospital at the end of her shift.

The patient is accused of kicking her in the head, causing neck and head pain. Police also reported the patient had tried to kick numerous other people.

The charge nurse told police this particular patient was alert, and knew what she was doing.

Chestnut is now charged with assault against a healthcare provider and disorderly conduct.

This case is just the latest known attack against healthcare workers. Earlier this year, I reported on hundreds of crimes at or near Louisville hospitals over the last year. My work, published on WHAS11.

According to LMPD’s crime data portal, 17 assaults were reported at Norton Hospital, 10 at Jewish Hospital, and 28 at the UofL Hospital parking garage between May of 2024 and May of 2025.

At Norton Audubon Hospital there were 10 assaults reported and east of that, at UofL Peace Hospital, 19 assaults have been reported during that same time period. In South Louisville at UofL Mary and Elizabeth, six assaults were reported to police in the last year.

But nurses tell me those are only the instances that are reported to law enforcement, and most aren't.

“Many healthcare professionals that are harmed don't report it, and they don't report it because they don't think anybody will listen. And then there are others who think that it's part of the job. It is not part of the job,” CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association Delanor Manson told me earlier this year.

With all of that said, this latest attack... the kick in the head... is just the latest, but the fact that it was reported and the offender was charged is a step in the right direction.

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