When was the last workplace violence meeting in your facility?????????

I spoke to a co worker that I haven't seen for a year or so. The first thing she said to me was "I asked again about a workplace violence meeting and again it's the eye rolling ,the shrugs and the "I don't know". This isn't the first of complaints that nurses have about these meetings . I have had another nurse state it has been two years since the last work place violence meeting. This continues to happen BUT nothing is being done.
I was on the bandwagon about these meeting and I was met with answers like "The director of security is leaving ,when we hire a new one we will get started" or "We will have one next month" (never happened)
We as healthcare workers are getting injured daily, we are making out incident reports, BUT nothing has changed for the better.
One of the hospitals I worked in had a sign stating NO VIOLENCE etc. there was another sign in the same area for directions to Dunkin Donuts ,when the area was painted the no violence was never put up BUT Dunkin Donuts sign was proudly displayed.
One time the ambulance doors were stuck open that lasted almost a week, one of the nurses called OSHA to complain however the answer was "if they were left open for two weeks they would investigate" Now these ambulance doors opened into the ER not the waiting room. How safe was that ?????
We had a patient kick in the Plexiglas that was in front of where the physicians wrote the orders. Was it replaced with any thing stronger? LOL
WE(as a whole team) need to look for safety,banding together to keep everyone safe is a real cause and commitment. Working in an unsafe environment and knowing it unsafe ,what does that mean?
Nobody is going to help keep any place safe if there is no constant chatter about it.Maybe the local papers should know what is going on? That was just a question! Maybe,just maybe these unions that you pay close to $900.00 a year should do something ,they work for the Nurses,Nurses don't work for them!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enough written for this tonight.
Be safe and remember it is not part of your job to be assaulted.!


Sheila Wilson R.N.BSN MPH

www.stophealthcareviolence.org