Hampton Roads hospital systems work to protect health care workers from violent situations

Rachel Rowe became a registered nurse 13 years ago because she wanted to help people. She never imagined she would be assaulted by a patient.

“They tell you things can happen in nursing school, but they don’t prepare you quite the way they probably should now,” Rowe said.

Rowe, who now works in the emergency department at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare, said an injury she incurred while working in another hospital system required her to go through reconstructive surgery and left her unable to work for six months.

“It’s at a point in my career where it’s more prevalent now than ever before,” Rowe said of the verbal and physical abuse she and her co-workers endure.

A September 2022 survey for the American College of Emergency Physicians found that 85% of 2,700 responding emergency physicians felt the rate of violence in emergency departments had increased over the past five years. And according to an April 2020 analysis by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care workers accounted for 73% of all nonfatal workplace violence injuries. Based on the same data, health care professionals are five times more likely to face workplace violence than workers overall.

Last year, the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association developed a public education campaign, “Help Us, Help You,” to make people aware of the scope of the challenge, said Julian Walker, VHHA vice president of communications.

Cursing, verbal abuse, threatening or harassing language, inappropriate touching, hitting, kicking, spitting, biting and scratching are all unacceptable forms of improper behavior, he said.

This past General Assembly session, lawmakers passed SB515 and HB861 to prohibit weapons in hospitals with emergency departments or that provide mental health services and rejected Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s substitute amendment that would make it unlawful to cause weapons to end up in the hands of patients receiving mental health care services in hospitals. Youngkin has until Friday to take final action.

In order to address the growing problem, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare held a health care violence prevention fair on Wednesday. Educational tables focused on self defense, de-escalation tips, pastoral care, stress management and incident reporting. Other resources were on hand for the clinical staff and community to peruse.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” said Reese Jackson, president and CEO of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. “This is probably the most important thing, from a societal perspective, where we think we can make a difference.”

Matt Hamel, Chesapeake’s commonwealth’s attorney, said he finds it very sad that professionals who seek to serve have to deal with the added stressors of violence.

“I’m very proud to be a small part in trying to support you and the city in this endeavor,” Hamel said to health care professionals during the fair.

Stella McClain, occupational health manager and co-chair of Chesapeake Regional’s workplace violence task force, said there is so much they want to do as an organization to proactively put tools in place for employees.

“These are things that you can do to care for yourself, ensure your safety and, in the event of an incident, report it,” she said.

Chesapeake Regional isn’t the only regional health care system stepping in to combat aggressive and abusive treatment toward employees.

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Sentara Health appointed a multidisciplinary task force in 2021 to develop a workplace violence prevention program to document incidents, according to an email from a spokesperson. Sentara said this improves not just the safety of the system’s teams, but also the perception of safety.

Sentara reported that implementing a visitor check-in and badging system at all 12 of its hospitals has helped to create a more respectful atmosphere and, in turn, reduce verbal and physical abuse. The proactive measures Sentara has in place to mitigate workplace violence include: expanded and enhanced employee training on de-escalation techniques, new initiatives to identify high-risk patients along with tools to minimize risk, an ongoing two-year pilot program with a concealed weapon detection system and posted signage defining unacceptable behaviors.

Riverside Health System regularly reviews protocols to ensure its facilities are safe places to heal and work, said Mark Rath, Riverside’s associate vice president of support operations. Security measures that Riverside continues to advance include: dedicated committees focused on workplace violence prevention, on-campus security and checkpoints, ongoing nationwide review with guidance on prevention and response tactics and training with local and regional law enforcement.

Bon Secours works closely with the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association to strengthen protections for its health care workers, system spokesperson Emma Swann said. It also has several resources available to help employees, including 24/7 access to professional counselors and support should medical care or legal action be necessary following a workplace violence incident.

“We encourage our associates and our communities to remember that it will take all of us, working and advocating together, to ensure the safety of each other and our patients,” Swann said.

Sandra J. Pennecke, 757-652-5836, sandra.pennecke@pilotonline.com