The Epidemic of Violence in American Hospitals

On Friday, an individual allegedly entered the lobby of a state psychiatric hospital in Concord, New Hampshire killing a security guard. A state trooper on duty assigned to the facility subsequently shot and killed the gunmen. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] In early September, a nurse at Inspira Medical Center in Vineland, New Jersey was nearly injured after a patient shot and killed himself, prompting a lockdown inside the hospital. The incident left healthcare workers, visitors, and patients filled with terror. The ongoing and escalating violence in and around hospitals in the U.S. is a clear and present danger to hospital staff and visitors. This pandemic of violence represents a public health emergency that demands the attention of our elected leaders. Over the last few years, the media had been filled with stories of assaults, stabbings, and other violent events including mass shootings at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. For many of us, this has been a great surprise since we have always believed health care facilities are oases of peace and caring. Since the pandemic, there has been a marked increase in violence against healthcare workers. The American Hospital Association (AHA) reports that healthcare workers suffer more workplace violence and injury than any other environment. The AHA also states that 44% of nurses report an increase in physical violence since the pandemic and a majority (68%) report an increase in v...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized freelance Source Type: news