Did you Know?

Lets talk about violence,assaults and homicide.
When we think of violence,violent attacks ,or homicide, most people imagine street crime ,a convenience store robbery gone very badly,or perhaps a lethal home invasion.
My topic is different : violence perpetrated against healthcare workers-nurses,physicians,emergency techs, medical aides,and so forth-at the hands of patients, patients family members and patient acquaintances.
80% of healthcare workers get assaulted   YES I wrote 80% of healthcare workers get assaulted!!!!
The healthcare employee population is,literally and figuratively under attack,and the victims are losing their sense of freedom,safety, emotional stability and in some cases their lives.

We need to continue to let the public know how much violence there is!

I have read numerous articles about healthcare violence just in the past few days. I am so pleased that the violence in healthcare settings is being recognized. It has been a problem for years. BUT it seems to be all talk! "Needs to be studied more" seems to be in a lot of the writings. My response is
Healthcare professionals are getting hurt in all healthcare facilities. Why isn't anything being done????? The public has very little knowledge of what nurses do . We need to let them know!
 We need to work together and get this job of violence under control now!

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

Nurse shot in leg !

   A nurse shot in the leg today by a hyperactive patient that was able to get a policeman's gun.
This happened at West Marion Hospital Ocala Florida.  Today 6/17/17.   "REALLY"
There were no further details on this incident as of yet.

I really don't know what to think! There are so many question and no answers. Can anyone respond on why and how this is happening?
Have we as healthcare workers allowed all this to happen? Do we think it really is part of the job to be assaulted?
Time to stand up and make all sorts of noise, This is not right, we need protection, we need to work together and stop this violence.
Prayers to this nurse,her family,friends and colleagues.

Sheila Wilson R.N.BSN MPH

President of stophealthcareviolence

www.stophealthcareviolence.org

The shocking reality of Healthcare violence and what we can do about it. Has been published as a ebook and now paperback. 

A Triage nurse stabbed 4 times by a 24 year old male whom was unhappy with the care he received 3 weeks before stabbed her!!!!!!!


The violence in healthcare is escalating and it is the healthcare worker that gets the injury. S/he suffers , life as they had it ,is no longer there.
We have to change this! We no longer accept the attitude it is part of the job! Really it isn't part of the job.
I think it is about time we make noise about how often we get punched, spit on, slapped and kicked by the person or their family or friends that we take care of.
Make out incident reports ,IT IS A PAPER TRAIL ! Follow up with the incident report and make sure your administrator is well of it! DONT SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG ANY LONGER!
That triage nurse was just doing her job , it is outrageous that happen!

In the State of MA. we have a law assaulting healthcare workers that is a misdemeanor, we are trying to change it to a felony like 33 other states have done for assaulting healthcare workers.
Please call,write or email your Senator or Representative or both to support the bills for assaulting healthcare workers. To find your legislator click the link below.
https://malegislature.gov/Search/findMyLegislator

Thank you we need your support!

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