Nurse Termination for Lack of Psychological Sensitivity

The court reviewed the dismissal of a nurse whose technical skills were excellent but who lacked the necessary psychological sensitivity required for work in a pediatric hospital setting, which constitutes an essential quality for that position. The court reasoned that because the requisite professional aptitude, specifically the psychological disposition, was a core requirement for the function, the demonstrable deficiency constituted a just cause for termination under the relevant statute regarding civil service employment.