“The
healthcare industry leads all other sectors in the incidence of non-fatal
workplace assaults,” according to the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).
In 2013 healthcare workers reported 9,200 non-fatal workplace
related to violence an amount representing more than 67% of injuries reported
in all industries and professions.
The two
biggest players in healthcare, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations (JCAHO), have been sitting on the issue of violence against
healthcare workers for years. Where does that leave us? Do we remain passive
and suffer assaults or do we fight for our legal right to have a safe working
environment?
If you have been a victim of abuse while taking care of your
patient, with no one protecting you or standing up to defend you after the
assault, and you are punished for rejecting the notion that assault is simply
part of your job, what do you do?
We as healthcare workers dedicate our lives to taking care
of, and providing treatment to, patients. We can end up putting our own safety at
risk from these patients, risking assault not just from the patient but family
members or even friends. This has been happening for decades. So what is the
problem?
A few key factors are in play.
