Connecticut, USA — Connecticut Hospital Association And while its members are taking a stand against violence against health workers, they say it is becoming more intense and frequent. According to CHA, at least five healthcare workers are assaulted every day in hospitals across the state.
“I’ve been a nurse for a long time, and I’ve never seen so much violence and aggression as I have now,” said Ena Williams, executive vice president and chief nursing officer at Yale-New Haven Hospital. he said. “It was a very rare situation, and there was a time when patients looked up to us. They thought we were doing what was right for them. Now, sometimes we don’t know what to do. Sometimes it feels like no matter what you do, it’s not enough.”
In response, CHA created a new statewide code of conduct policy that will be implemented in all 27 acute care hospitals in Connecticut.
It reads in part:
“Connecticut hospitals and health systems do not tolerate intentional disruption of any health care environment, including inpatient, outpatient, office-based, or home health care settings. Such actions include:
- Aggressive or violent behavior such as physical assault, threats (verbal and non-verbal), and abusive language
- discriminatory language
- Words and actions that can be considered sexual harassment
- Possession of any type of weapon in a hospital or health system facility
Patient and staff safety is a top priority for Connecticut hospitals. Any behavior that jeopardizes their safety may have potential consequences, including being asked to leave the facility. ”
The violence experienced by nurses and all hospital staff ranges from verbal to physical abuse.
“Some of our staff members have been kicked in the head. They’ve been scratched, pinched, bitten, kicked or even punched in the face,” said John Dempsey, a nurse at University Health John Dempsey Hospital. , Teresa Marks said.
Marks said some of this behavior is seen in patients who cannot control themselves for medical reasons. But the action is also coming from those who can, she says.
“Every time we come, every day, something happens,” Marks said. “We get physically abused and verbally abused. It’s part of everyday life these days and it shouldn’t be.”
“They’re looking at this movie in the context of empathy and healing, but they often go beyond that and say it’s okay. But it’s really not okay, folks. That’s not true,” Bristol said.・Kurt Barwis, CEO of Health, said:
Most hospitals already have similar policies in place, but this will ensure that all hospitals are on the same page.
“It’s about talking together about what we expect and what we will do when people who don’t respect health care workers come into our environment,” Williams said.
The group hopes the changes will change the situation leading to a severe shortage of medical workers.
“I had a young nurse who happened to have been a nurse for just over a year come and give her opinion. Who said, “I can’t do this much longer”? We’re going to lose staff,” Marks said.
“It’s making people reconsider why they entered the health care industry. It’s impacting the critical thinking needed to provide safe, high-quality care,” Stanford said. -Joseph Hines, director of safety and security at Health.
CHA also worked with legislators to pass HB 6741, which would fund additional safety and security measures for CT hospitals.
But their work isn’t done yet. They are currently working with the State Attorney’s Office to properly prosecute those who commit crimes within the hospital. Currently, it is often open to the public.
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CHA is also asking for the public’s cooperation in following the code of conduct to bring about change.
“We don’t have to go to work every day and be afraid. At all. And we hope that this will at least keep us in check to some degree. I mean, we’re confident that we’ll always have something. . But it would be very helpful if incidents were to happen rarely, rather than every day,” Marks said.
Please read the full Code of Conduct below.
“Excellent patient care requires a safe, supportive, inclusive, fair and respectful environment, and the dedication of patients, hospital staff, families and visitors to maintaining such an environment.” We must address: Behavior that interferes with the provision of health care or creates an unsafe and disrespectful environment is unacceptable. Connecticut hospitals and health systems do not tolerate intentional disruption of any health care environment, including inpatient, outpatient, office-based, or home health care settings. Such actions include:
- Aggressive or violent behavior such as physical assault, threats (verbal and non-verbal), and abusive language
- discriminatory language
- Words and actions that can be considered sexual harassment
- Possession of any type of weapon in a hospital or health system facility
Patient and staff safety is a top priority for Connecticut hospitals. Actions that endanger safety may have potential consequences, including being asked to leave the facility.
This policy was developed by the Workplace Violence Prevention Working Group at the direction of the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) Workforce Sustainability Task Force. He was confirmed by the CHA Board of Directors on October 4, 2023. ”
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter for FOX61 News. Contact her at [email protected]. Facebook, X and Instagram.
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