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.

Waiting

Waiting isn’t something that most people enjoy. Many of us want everything fast, immediate, now!

Sometimes, when we don’t get what we want in short order, we can become irritated. Throw situational stressors into the mix and some people can lose what’s left of their patience, causing a verbal or even physical confrontation.

That is what happened with a man who was awaiting his mother’s test results.

In an August 8, 2016, article in the UK Mirror, reporter Kelly–Ann Mills describes a horrific moment at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, China, when a patient’s son punched a pregnant nurse in the face.

Violence and PTSD

A July 25, 2016, article in the Hamilton Spectator describes a violent attack on a registered practical nurse at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton's West 5th Campus, the hospital to the regional specialized mental health services for South Central Ontario, providing inpatient and outpatient care to those suffering with a severe mental illness or addiction.

Joel OpHardt, reporter for the Hamilton Spectator, wrote Domenic Di Pasquale, President of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 786 said that about 5:30 am Friday a patient requested some medication. The nurse retrieved the medication, and when she gave it to the patient “he proceeded to kiss her.” “The nurse backed away from him, but the patient tackled her and groped her private parts. This nurse was able to get free at that point, and alerted nearby staff nearby. In a
The patient and attacker, Di Pasquale, “learned the nurse wasn’t physically hurt but is concerned about the traumatization of the incident.”

While the attack is infinitely disturbing, I cannot help but acknowledge Di Pasquale for conveying these sentiments, and for being aware of the risks of long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the victim.

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.

A Cup of Scalding Tea

A Brooklyn hospital nurse suffered second-degree burns last month when a patient’s daughter threw scalding tea in her face.

Nineteen-year-old Milldred Alverez attacked the Brooklyn healthcare worker at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, where Alvarez’s mother was being treated.

In a June 17, 2016 New York Post article, reporter Sarah Trefethen wrote that Alvarez was “unhappy with the care her mother received.” The attack left the nurse with pain and blisters on her forehead, and Alverez was subsequently charged with felony assault.

The victim developed blisters as a result of the assault, meaning she received a second degree burn.