Jan 6, NC ER Nurse attacked and suffered a broken leg
⁉️ The Alarming Facts
National Nurses Untied has published the results of national surverys over the years. Violence against nurses is on the rise:
- 31% in 2021
- 48% in 2022
- 81% in 2023
According to OSHA’s publication, 75% of workplace assaults occur in healthcare settings.
Variables Contributing to Violence Against Nurses
- Inadequate Staffing: Leading to increased wait times and unmet patient needs.
- High Workload and Stress: Heavy workloads and overcrowding.
- Patient Factors: Patients experiencing agitation and a lack of regard for the well-being of others.
- Insufficient training in de-escalation techniques and inadequate reporting systems can leave nurses unprepared and unsupported in handling violent situations.
- Perception of Violence as 'Part of the Job': When violence is seen as an inevitable aspect of nursing, it leads to underreporting and a lack of proactive measures to prevent it.
Prevention
- Implement Staff Training.
- Mandating on-site security officers.
- Requiring hospitals to track assaults and their outcomes in court.
- Establish Specific Reporting Mechanisms.
- Requiring hospitals to track assaults and their outcomes in court.
Actions to Consider for Immediate Risk
- Know your means of exit, so you aren’t backed into a corner.
- Know what panic buttons do you have nearby.
- Determine code words you can use to call for assistance.
Actions to Consider for Threats
- Conduct background checks and monitor social media posts.
- Inform police where staff live.
- Restricting access to staff member.
- Removing the staff member’s name from directories.
- Parking in a different spot day to day.
Projected Impact
The National Center for Workforce Analysis predicts a shortage of 139,000 doctors and 337,000 nurses over the next 15 years.
Sources: CDC, PubMed, ANA, OSHA, National Center for Workforce Analysis, National Nurses United