{"id":19521,"date":"2019-04-08T20:26:00","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T20:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2019\/04\/08\/facing-escalating-workplace-violence-hospitals-employees-have-had-enough\/"},"modified":"2019-04-08T20:26:00","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T20:26:00","slug":"facing-escalating-workplace-violence-hospitals-employees-have-had-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/facing-escalating-workplace-violence-hospitals-employees-have-had-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"Facing Escalating Workplace Violence, Hospitals Employees Have Had Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Marlene Harris-Taylor<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, incidents of serious workplace violence are four times<\/a> more common in health care than in private industry. Most assaults come from patients and patients’ families.<\/p>\n

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Phil Fisk\/Cultura RF\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Phil Fisk\/Cultura RF\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Across the U.S., <\/strong>many doctors, nurses and other health care workers have remained silent about what is being called an epidemic of violence against them.<\/p>\n

The violent outbursts come from patients and patient’s families. And for years, it’s been considered part of the job.<\/p>\n

When you visit the Cleveland Clinic emergency department, these days \u2014whether as a patient, family member or friend \u2014 a large sign directs you toward a metal detector.<\/p>\n

An officer inspects all bags and then instructs you to walk through the metal detector. In some cases, a metal wand is used \u2014 even on patients who come in on stretchers. Cleveland Clinic officials say they confiscate thousands of weapons like knives, pepper spray and guns each year. The metal detectors were installed in response to what CEO Tom Mihaljevic<\/a> is calling an epidemic.<\/p>\n

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“There is a very fundamental problem in U.S. health care that very few people speak about,” he says, “and that’s the violence against health care workers. Daily \u2014 literally, daily \u2014 we are exposed to violent outbursts, in particular in emergency rooms.”<\/p>\n

Many health care workers say the physical and verbal abuse comes primarily from patients, some of whom are disoriented because of illness or from medication. Sometimes nurses and doctors are abused by family members who are on edge because their loved-one is so ill.<\/p>\n

Cleveland Clinic also has introduced other safety measures \u2014 such as wireless panic buttons incorporated into I.D. badges, and more safety cameras and plain clothes officers in ERs.<\/p>\n

But these incidents aren’t limited to emergency rooms.<\/p>\n