Another Life Lost; Enough

Beijing Dr Wen YANG’s death is another reminder of the healthcare violence global epidemic. Going forward, we ought to take action.

Guest post by Dr. Li Li, MD, MBA

Global Medical Lead, Cardiovascular, Bayer AG, Berlin, Germany

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Dr. Wen YANG was a 51-year-old ER physician, a mother, a wife, a daughter, working in Beijing Civil Aviation Hospital. On 24th, December 2019, Tuesday, one week earlier, she lost her life. That day was Christmas Eve. 

Dr. Yang was stabbed by a patient’s relative at her night shift, suffered from serious wounds to her neck, no breaths or heartbeats at the scene. The tragedy was recorded by the surveillance camera, a few seconds of murder was terribly brutal and cruel.

As a human, I was shocked by what I saw from the footage, just as most of us were. Dr. Yang was a caring, young woman, she had the nerve to apply her 27 years’ medicine knowledge to patients. Her death is another tragic reminder that there have been increasing reports, yet still underreported, of verbal, physical and psychological violence happening in the past years, not just in China, but worldwide.

The doctors, nurses and the staff work in health care are trained to take care of the ill, the injured and the people who come for help...the health care workers do not agree to be attacked, insulted, or murdered. 

Working in the health care profession is not easy; to treat and to care for patients is very challenging, it takes a life-long commitment. The medicine does not always work, some diseases so far are still not curable, a group of patients sadly has to face death no matter how hard they have fought. 

We all know the reasons causing healthcare violence epidemic are not straightforward, combating the violence goes a long way ahead, same in America. One piece of advice shared by Sheila Wilson, President of Stop-Healthcare-Violence in one of her publications, “combating Healthcare workplace violence,” she wrote, “it is my belief that underreporting is due to healthcare worker misconception of workplace violence.” (1)

Some healthcare workers get used to the verbal abuse or mild physical attacks, seeing them as part of their daily work, they felt upset or angry when the attacks happened. But the victims did not deem it necessary or important to file an incident report, or perhaps no one or no channel in the workplaces available was to assist those victims. On the other hand, the phenomenon of healthcare violence epidemic, if released to the general public, seems to undermine the image of the hospitals. (2) 

Sheila suggested, “With an advocate in place, there would be a non-administrative point-person designated to check in with the victim frequently, communicate with staff, conduct ongoing education and outreach, and foster a sense of security and right to safety for healthcare workers.” Then the first fundamental step is to ensure healthcare workers clearly being aware of the process of the incidence reporting, and the risk management system should be in place.

The doctors, nurses and the staff work in health care are trained to take care of the ill, the injured and the people who come for help. Sometimes they enjoy the extraordinary, wonderful moments when they witness their patients getting recovered. They are proud of themselves and their endeavors. The public media also extolls the pleasures of the medical achievement and disease cure by humans.

However not always it is perfect, and very uncommon for the general public to listen to health care workers complaining, about their frustration, tiredness, depression. Remember please, the health care workers do not agree to be attacked, insulted, or murdered. 

Another life was lost when she was taking care of others. Violence again wins. 

Enough.

References

1. Wilson S. Combating Healthcare Workplace Violence. 
Available from bestnursingdegree.com 

2. Arnetz JE, Hamblin L, Ager J, et al. Work, 2015, 51(1): 51-9. 
Available from ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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About the Author

Dr Li Li graduated from Peking University with MD degree in 2004, worked in Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China as a licensed Gynaecologist for 6 years.  Then she received MBA degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Since 2012, she has been working in the global headquarter of Bayer AG. She has published about 10 papers in the scientific journals and several posters in the international congresses.

Dr Li Li has an interest in enhancing the medical communication & education across countries, and a passion of supporting the activities to improve people’s health & wellbeing worldwide.

Dr. Li Li may be reached by email at li.li9@bayer.com or wannalof@gmail.com.

Is it Their Fault?

Whether or Not to Prosecute Someone with a Mental Illness

Guest post by Marie Miguel, writing and research expert with BetterHelp.com

Mental illness affects one in five people in the United States and one in 25 of them are serious mental illnesses. With so many that have mental health conditions, we need even more health care workers to take care of them. We need those nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals to care for those who cannot take care of themselves. Many of these people do not have anyone who can take care of them at home, or they are just too sick to be cared for by a layperson, no matter how much they want to be there for them. That’s why it is on healthcare professionals to do this important work.

You Just Want to Help People

Maybe you grew up always wanting to be a healthcare professional in order to help people and take care of them. You spend all those years working toward schooling and certifications to become the best you can be, and take your licensure tests and pass them with flying colors. Now, you’ve finally made it and are taking care of people like you have wanted to do since you can remember. Then you realize that even though you are supposed to take care of these patients, there may not be as much support to back you up if you get hurt – not in a workplace accident, but instead, by one of your patients.

Like a War Zone

Some days are better than others, and there are those days when you question your career path or even fear for your life. You may get slapped, punched, verbally abused, and / or threatened with death threats. It may feel like you are more of a police officer or soldier at war, but you are simply trying to help people as a healthcare professional. Whether you work in a nursing home, emergency room, or psychiatric ward with mentally-ill patients, there are going to be times that they act unpredictably, and you can get hurt. But what are the laws to protect you in these different cases of on-the-job abuse? When do they apply? Are you protected only if you have serious bodily harm? What if you are providing medical care outside of a medical facility? These different scenarios can be confusing.

Protecting Those Who Protect Others

Most patients do not intend to hurt you. They may be in a lot of pain, or have a mental condition that confuses them and makes them unable to regulate their emotions, actions, or both. That’s not to say that there aren’t those who really do want to hurt you, but they are few and far between, luckily. Whether your patients intend to do it or not, what are your protections from getting hurt on the job by your patients?

Is it Their Fault?

Less than 30% of medical personnel who are abused by their patients ever report their abuse, but the number of reports is still alarmingly high, as 75 of every 25,000 assaults in the workplace are medical professionals. Every year, more than two million people with serious mental illnesses are put in jail. As a healthcare professional, how can you know whether the patient is capable of being held responsible for their actions and able to be prosecuted? Most times, unless you are a psychologist or psychiatrist, you are not really able to make that decision. That is when it is time to call in a mental health care expert. Even the patient who seems quite docile and “normal” can have a mental illness without you knowing about it. This is especially true if this is a patient that is new to you.

Checking Their Records

A patient who is abusive or violent toward you is likely to have a record of being abusive or violent in the past. Getting their records and talking to people that have provided care for them in the past can often help you to determine whether they need mental health treatment or a police escort. Patients who seem quite “normal” one moment and then harm someone for seemingly no reason is usually suffering from some type of mental health disorder.

Symptoms of Different Mental Illnesses

An example of a common mental health diagnosis for patients that may be more likely to cause harm to others around them is bipolar disorder, and there are several types. Those that are diagnosed as having Bipolar I Disorder have at least a week of manic symptoms, alternating with at least two weeks of depressive episodes. Those with Bipolar II also have the depressive symptoms, but not as marked or intense manic episodes as those with Bipolar I.


If you have a patient who has a history of being full of energy and feeling like they’re on top of the world one day, and then has periods of sadness and not wanting to get out of bed on other days, you may need to have them evaluated by a mental health care professional, if they haven’t been previously.

Talk to a Professional

Many medical professionals and lawmakers are trying to pass laws to make it a felony for patients to harm those who are trying to take care of them, although these may not cover those who have mental illnesses. If you have a mental disability, you need medical treatment, not jail time, in most cases. But sometimes that is not possible.


If you are a caregiver who is in need of mental health support for yourself due to what you have been facing in your workplace, or have other personal issues where you could benefit from a mental health care professional’s expert opinion, consider contacting www.betterhelp.com for help today. You don’t need an appointment. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your home.

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About the Author 


Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.

Elise's Law

Nurse Elise Wilson

After being savagely stabbed by a patient, nurse Elise Wilson’s colleagues, friends and family testify on behalf of “Elise’s Law”.

Today the Massachusetts State House witnessed Elise Wilson’s colleagues, friends and family testify on behalf of “Elise’s Law”, a legislative protective act for healthcare workers. Elise, the nurse the law is named after wasn’t there. She was so severely injured by a patient brutally stabbing her that, a month and half after the savage attack, she is still recovering and was unable to attend the hearing. The horrific assault she endured left her in critical care – fighting for her life with scars that will last a lifetime. Thank goodness she is alive!

It is awful to think that someone almost needs to die, before felony legislation is put in place. Massachusetts legislators – it’s time to protect healthcare professionals from being assaulted.

"Elise's Law" is formally known as Senate Bill No. 1374, which was filed by state Senator James Timilty about five months prior to Wilson being attacked. Thirty-five other legislators have also signed on in support of the proposal. The Massachusetts Nurses Association proposed the law in effort to better protect healthcare workers and create programs to prevent workplace violence.

Based upon a Massachusetts Nurses Association survey of more than 220 nurses it found that fear of violence and physical and verbal abuse are pervasive in Massachusetts healthcare facilities. More than 85 percent of nurses have been assaulted physically or verbally. Nurses are assaulted on the job more than police officers and prison guards, with more than 70 percent of hospital emergency department nurses reporting being assaulted during their career. These are frightening statistics we, and others who work in the healthcare industry, face just by going to work! Enough!!

Violence should not be part of any job! It is time Massachusetts legislators make much needed, and overdue changes to protect, Massachusetts healthcare workers, their constituents and our mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, spouses, friends and colleagues by passing Massachusetts’s felony legislation!

Sheila Wilson, RN, BSN, MPH
President, Stop Healthcare Violence

www.stophealthcareviolence.org

Get our book! The Shocking Reality of Healthcare Violence

Felony Legislation: New Bill Numbers!

We have new Bill Numbers for felony legislation - making assault on healthcare workers a felony in the State of Massachusetts:

House Bill H795

Click here

Senate Bill S765

Click here

Please support the passage of these Bills. 

Contact your State legislator and urge him or her to support passage of these Bills so that Massachusetts can be the 34th State.

Sheila Wilson, RN, BSN, MPH
President, Stop Healthcare Violence
http://www.stophealthcareviolence.org
Get our ebook! The Shocking Reality of Healthcare Violence

The Way It Is… and The Way It Should Be

Many people have asked for clarification about misdemeanor penalties versus felony penalties when it comes to assault on healthcare workers. I’ve put together a simple primer that I hope will clear this up.

The Way It Is: Assault as a Misdemeanor
When the victim contacts the police, a police report is filed, but law enforcement is unable to arrest the perpetrator because they didn't visually witness the assault.

Then, law enforcement sends their report to District Attorney’s Office. The DA’s office sends the victim, and the perpetrator, a court date to meet with a court magistrate.

On that date, if the court magistrate feels it is important to see the judge, then you and the perpetrator go to court and appear in front of a judge. The judge decides if that individual receives probation, a fine, or time in a county jail.

The Way It Should Be: Assault as a Felony
When the victim contacts the police, a report is filed AND the police can arrest him or her and take him to jail if medically stable.

There is no need to appear in front of a court magistrate (hear that, nurses? Saving you from a day in court). Instead, you and the perpetrator go to court before a judge.

There is no fine, so the penalty would be sentencing to jail, Massachusetts House of Corrections, or State Prison.

However, if the DA and/or the judge do not feel the resulting injuries are significant enough to warrant felony penalties, they may choose to downgrade the crime to a misdemeanor.

The moral of the story:
Please, please, please — support felony law. In Massachusetts, we are lobbying for the passage of House Bill H795 and Senate Bill S765. Contact your State legislator (how do I find them?) and urge him or her to support passage of these Bills so that Massachusetts can be the 34th State

Sheila Wilson, RN, BSN, MPH
President, Stop Healthcare Violence
http://www.stophealthcareviolence.org
Get our ebook! The Shocking Reality of Healthcare Violence

Where Caregivers are the Problem

One of the barriers to mitigating healthcare violence is us - the healthcare workers.

We are the problem.

Does that shock  you? It should. But let me explain.

Healthcare workers are caregivers. We are peacemakers.

We are caregivers and peacemakers who often face and manage perpetual crises. We learn and are trained to absorb these situations without showing outward reaction. Our drill is to remain calm amongst a storm that is frequently constant.

It’s innate; we don’t make waves. Instead, we make excuses. 

When a patient scratches, hits or kicks, you say, “He didn’t mean it.” When a patient shoves, we shrug a shoulder and say, “She didn’t mean it, it’s ok.” We minimize, we downplay. 

But this is NOT okay.

Being scratched, hit, kicked, shoved, spit upon, or assaulted in any other way, is not acceptable. We need not, cannot, and should not condone it or make excuses. 

Once we begin to understand, and REALLY BELIEVE, that being assaulted in the workplace is NOT okay, and it is NOT in our job description, we begin to reverse the widespread belief culture that healthcare violence is an acceptable status quo. Correcting this mindset internally - establishing our own "zero tolerance policy," if you will - is a critical component of ensuring our own safety in the workplace.

Read lots more in my ebook, including how to protect yourself, and what your employer can and should do to ensure your safety.    

SHEILA WILSON R.N., BSN, MPH

President, Stop Healthcare Violence

www.stophealthcareviolence.org

More About My E-Book
Amazon Kindle  * Kobo  * iBooks

The E-Book You Can't Afford NOT To Read

Healthcare workers: Do you want to...

• learn to identify potentially dangerous situations, protect and advocate for yourself, 
• understand that being a victim of violence is NOT in your job description, and 
• find out what employers and administrators can and should do to keep you safe?

This is is all in my brand new e-book:

The Shocking Reality of Violence in Healthcare

And What We Can Do About It

Are you a healthcare worker who has been assaulted, or know someone who has? Violence against healthcare workers has reached epidemic levels, and E.R. nurses are particularly at risk. Assaults on healthcare staff is leading to life-changing injuries, PTSD, and even death. This book helps you, and we CAN mitigate healthcare violence.

You cannot afford NOT to read this. Get it now on Amazon Kindle, Kobo, and iBooks.

SHEILA WILSON R.N., BSN, MPH

President, Stop Healthcare Violence

www.stophealthcareviolence.org

More About My E-Book
Amazon Kindle  * Kobo  * iBooks

Ok; Let's Roll

Ok, my fellow supporters, colleagues and friends; it is time.

Many of you have cheered me on over the last eight years since the inception of Stop Healthcare Violence; particularly as I and some of my associates lobbied endlessly and tirelessly for the passage of felony legislation as a means to curb healthcare violence. Now it is time for action. 

I need you to do something for me; it's not a difficult thing and it won't take much, but it could lead to be something significant and could have a major impact on healthcare safety.

We are trying to solicit co-sponsors for Massachusetts Docket #HD 1329, An Act Strengthening the Penalty for Assault or Assault and Battery on an Emergency Medical Technician, Ambulance Operator, Ambulance Attendant or Health Care Provider. This Docket will eventually be filed as a Bill that would replace HB #1164 that was, last year, sent to study. 

Here's what I need you to do: 

Please contact your senators or representatives and ask him or her to co-sponsor this Docket.

You can find your legislator here: https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator

And you can use the following example for your letter, email or telephone call to them:

My name is Sheila Wilson RN BSN MPH President and co-founder of Stop Healthcare Violence. I am asking you to consider co-sponsoring Docket #HD 1329 due to the increase of violence in the workplace. We as healthcare workers are being assaulted by patients, patients’ family members, and friends of the patients. 

Violence against Healthcare workers has reached epidemic levels. Health care workers experience the most non-fatal workplace with attacks on these professions accounting for nearly 70% of all non-fatal workplace assaults. You may not know but at this writing 33 states have changed their law to a felony for assaulting health care workers BUT Massachusetts is not one of them. I wonder why, especially when Massachusetts was always the leader for the health care. This legislation would increase the penalties for assaulting emergency medical technicians, ambulance operators, ambulance attendants and other healthcare workers. Punishable by up to five years in state prison.

Won't you please take five minutes to do this? I thank you in advance for your consideration. Now, let's roll.

SHEILA WILSON R.N., BSN, MPH

President, Stop Healthcare Violence

www.stophealthcareviolence.org

New Anti-Assault Bill to be Filed

A new anti-assault bill will be filed with the State of Massachusetts in early 2017. Like HB #1164, this new bill will increase penalties for assault on healthcare workers, and change the category of its crime from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Stay tuned!  

Yes! A Cheer for MNA's Support

I have the distinct pleasure of presenting the following from Donna Kelly-Williams, president of  Massachusetts Nurses Association:

Health care professionals are being assaulted at a rate four times the national average. Fear of violence and actual violence is rampant in Massachusetts health care facilities. It is clear the laws we have in place are not enough to stop the violence. A hospital should be a place where patients go to heal and nurses and other health care professionals are able to provide care in a safe environment. The Massachusetts Nurses Association is proud to partner with Sheila Wilson, co-founder of Stop Healthcare Violence, and the Massachusetts Emergency Nurse Association, in our effort to improve the safety of every health care facility in the Commonwealth.

Stop Healthcare Violence looks forward to working with the MNA in our efforts to engender a safe and supportive work environment for healthcare workers everywhere.


Sheila Wilson R.N.BSN MPH
President, Stop Healthcare Violence
www.stophealthcareviolence.org

While Fighting the Battle, We Still Must Have Fun

I had the distinct pleasure of attending a luncheon hosted by Nancy Clover, RN, COHN-S, founder of Occupational Health Connections, for OHC staff at the East Street Grill in Methuen, Massachusetts.
I spoke with Nancy and her staff about healthcare violence, and the need to change Massachusetts law for assault on healthcare workers from a misdemeanor to a felony. In spite of the seriousness of the topic, we were able to let loose and have a fantastic time.

A great afternoon, at a great restaurant, with great food, and a lot of fun!

A special thank you goes out to Nancy Clover; and to her colleagues and staff. 

And wow! East Street Grill - great place and great food; thank you.

And now, back to work.

We Need to Do Better

We, as nurses and healthcare workers, need to do better.

Does that statement surprise you? Shock you? Anger you?

Allow me to explain.

A 62-year-old New Jersey nurse is recovering from a broken nose after being assaulted by a patient.
In the July 5, 2016 issue of My Central Jersey/USA Today, reporter Mike Deak wrote that 28-year-old patient Mauri Pierce was being weighed as part of the admission process to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital when she stood up from her wheelchair and struck the nurse in the nose with two open palms, breaking her nose and causing her to fall backward and strike her head against a wall. Pierce then started to run away but was caught by security, and ultimately charged with aggravated assault.

A broken nose can take an extended time to heal, and can cause many permanent complications, including altered appearance, change in or loss of sense of smell, and breathing difficulty.
This attack is a vicious and unwarranted act of violence.