From CBS....Health: An Unsettling Investigation Involving Hospitals

[goyavo]

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/05/13/health-an-unsettling-investigation-involving-hospitals/

Violence in the ER is highlighted. It seems to be related to population density with many other factors such as the frequency of mentally ill patient visits and the manner each hospital deals with violence. Most hospitals do not want to acknowledge its existence and reporting any violence can have severe employment repercussions. If hospitals were required to follow OSHA reporting requirements, at least the extent of the problem would be known.

[kungpoopanda]

There are always stories about violence in the ER and in mental health but rarely is violence in med/surg or LTC reported. Staff in those areas rarely report it because you are just supposed to suck it up and nothing is done by management.

[Racer15, BSN, RN]

Staff in the ER are also told to suck it up and not report it. If I had a nickel for every time I was threatened, spit on, hit, kicked...by golly I could retire. I would also imagine many violent LTC patients are demented and can't help what they do.

There are always stories about violence in the ER and in mental health but rarely is violence in med/surg or LTC reported. Staff in those areas rarely report it because you are just supposed to suck it up and nothing is done by management.

I think the floor violence doesn't get so much attention because it's not so public.

Anybody who's spent much time in our ER has seen the stuff that we sometimes have to put up with. They don't often think about the times that some of those patients end up on the floors... where they are less equipped to deal with it.

That said, it *is* a much more regular problem in the ED than anywhere else... just given the nature of the department.