Columbia, Missouri (KMIZ)
There have been multiple attacks on nurses at university hospitals and university hospital psychiatric centers.
Three assaults on nurses have been reported at the MU Psychiatric Center since December 2023, according to online court records. According to the American Nurses Association, one in four nurses in the United States has reported being assaulted in the past year. This means that around two nurses are assaulted every hour nationwide.
On Dec. 15, nurse Danielle Gensinger was attacked by a patient, who grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into the ground multiple times, according to online court records.
“And I remember looking at the ground and being like, I'm watching it happen, what's going on now? And I have a 3-year-old daughter. And I just want to be her mother, you know? And I kept thinking, “I don't want to be here, I want to be home with her,'' Gensinger said.
On Jan. 5, another nurse was attacked at a psychiatric center after a patient pushed her and caused her to fall, according to online court records. She hit the back of her head and her neck on a wooden bench, resulting in her having several seizures.
The most recent attack occurred on Jan. 23, when a nurse was punched and kicked multiple times by a patient, according to online court records.
In 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that healthcare workers accounted for 73% of all violence-related non-fatal workplace injuries.
The American Hospital Association says violence in health care settings has increased since the outbreak of COVID-19.
“The pandemic has placed significant stress on the entire health care system, and unfortunately, in some situations, patients, visitors, and family members have attacked health care staff, jeopardizing their ability to provide care. ” says the American Hospital Association report. .
The American Hospital Association is pushing for federal legislation to protect health care workers. According to the report, 44% of nurses reported experiencing physical violence during the pandemic, while 68% said they experienced verbal abuse.
When asked about the attack, University Hospitals said, “At MU Healthcare, the safety of our patients and employees is our top priority.As the incidence of violence against healthcare workers increases nationally, MU Healthcare… continues to make progress in the workplace.” Violence prevention and control programs to promote a culture of safety and respond to incidents of aggression and violence. ”
MU Healthcare said it has implemented a Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT), which uses nursing-led interventions to reduce the amount of physical violence in the workplace.
