Dive Brief:
- Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn is facing fines of $78,000 after an inspection by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the organization failed to protect employees against workplace violence.
- OSHA found that employees were exposed to 40 incidents of injuries of the head, face and groin and threats and intimidation during interactions with visitors and patients over a two-month period this past spring. One nurse was attacked during her shift, resulting in severe brain injuries.
- The investigation began after an employee complaint. The hospital was cited for willfully failing to create and put in place a plan to diminish the possibility of violence in the workplace.
Dive Insight:
When it comes to assault and violence in hospitals, it seems that nurses are particularly vulnerable to problem. According to the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety, violent incidents with hospital workers jumped 37% in the past three years. Another study reported that, worldwide, one-third of nurses have been exposed to violence or been injured and one-quarter have faced sexual harassment.
In approximately 30 states, there are laws on the books making assault of hospital workers a felony. But laws are not always a deterrent to crime, particularly in harried emergency rooms. It is clear that the federal government expects hospitals to put measures in place to protect workers, which could be anything from panic buttons to controlling the number of bedside visitors. And when plans are put in place, it is imperative that they be implemented and monitored.
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