Re: violence in the work place
Incidence rate per 10,000 full-time workers
Private Sector OverallHealth Services OverallSocial ServicesNursing & Personal Care Facilities Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2001).
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2000.
The above graph, which is seven years old, tells you something...doesn't it?
And this is only the REPORTED incidents that are included in the graph....
Many hospitals, from my research, refuse to document incidents...as to some nursing homes...they are concerned about their IMAGE....that the population at large will believe that they are not a safe place to be cared for when illness or surgery is required.
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The Department of Justice's (DOJ) National Crime Victimization Survey for 1993 to 1999 lists average annual rates of non-fatal violent crime by occupation. The average annual rate for non-fatal violent crime for all occupations is 12.6 per 1,000 workers. The average annual rate for physicians is 16.2; for nurses, 21.9; for mental health professionals, 68.2; and for mental health custodial workers, 69. (
Note: These data do not compare directly to the BLS figures because DOJ presents violent incidents per 1,000 workers and BLS displays injuries involving days away from work per 10,000 workers. Both sources, however, reveal the same high risk for health care and soical service workers.)
The above is taken from the OSHA website:
http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html
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It's quite sobering to realize that as nurses we are over double the national average for being a victim of violence....
and while some hospitals offer violence in the workplace seminars, or have a few more security guards on staff, the vast majority are underreporting or not reporting at all the DAILY incidents that occur with nurses, therapists, doctors, and ancillary staff by patients, outsiders, or fellow co-workers.
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A well known hospital in LA recently put in metal detectors in their main entry way. Their study showed that over 75% of the women visitors and 60% of the men visitors were carrying some sort of contrabanded weaponry!
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If ever there was a need to address the REAL issues of nurses and doctors at the bedside, it is now.
It seems that many of the national organizations are focused on minutia, while there are tangible issues that go unaddressed.
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Emmy mentioned that occassionally an out of control psyche patient delivered by a policeman is left in the nurses' hands while they go about their duties elsewhere....
Why isn't the hospital protecting these nurses?
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Rural and small hospitals are often the worst, which is counter to what many people would think....it is falsely believed that inner city hosp. would be the mecca for violence...but rural hosp. rarely have a security guard, or if they do, only on one shift....and management of those rural hosp. are anxious to support nurses, because they worry about the bottom line....it's a small community, where everybody "knows your name."
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JUST SO YOU KNOW: UNDER OSHA GUIDLINES AND FEDERAL LAW, IT IS THE EMPLOYER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THEIR WORKERS SAFE WHILE AT WORK....
If, say, a nurse is fatally injured from violence in the workplace, and the employer failed to maintain a safe environment that is reasonable, they can be named as co-respondents in a wrongful death lawsuit.
It is my opinion, that much of the head in the sand attitude about this is because once this issue is addressed with accompanying policies in place, it requires documentation of the subsequent incidents and what was done about it....ie a paper trail....if there is nothing done, and all is ignored, it leaves less evidenciary tools to work with, when something does happen.
(notice, I said WHEN)
Please, all of you, be very aware of your surroundings, and always place yourself in a position that does not block your exit from a potentially violent situation...walk in pairs...(whether you are male or female..it doesn't matter) when going to parking areas...or down stair wells...
Don't wear your stethoscope around your neck....and be careful of lanyards that do not break away....
The stats show that violence is climbing....
If our administrations refuse to address this, then we have to do it ourselves, as best we can.
Be safe.
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