A gaggle of Catholic Church-run hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin have said they’re taking out crucifixes in a bid to forestall attacks on staff.
Hospital Sisters Health System said picket and metal crucifixes can be faraway from its hospitals to forestall patients from using them to attack staff.
The organisation said the choice is available in response to “the changing healthcare landscape and the overall increase in healthcare staff experiencing workplace violence.”
No specific incident triggered the move, Hospital Sisters said, but they noted “safer replacements” can be utilized in future. No further details were provided.
The organisation said removing the crucifixes was a final resort, with the health system stressing that every one employees undergo training in “Management of Aggressive Behaviors” and people working directly with patients learn de-escalation methods.
Healthcare and social services have the best rate of nonfatal workplace injuries across all sectors within the US, surpassing each manufacturing and construction by over 100,000 incidents.
According to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and social service staff are five times as more likely to get injured at work than staff overall, with violence intensifying throughout the pandemic.
More than 5,200 nursing personnel were assaulted within the second quarter of 2022, equating to 2 nurses assaulted every hour, in line with Press Ganey data.
The bipartisan Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act was introduced within the Senate in September. The bill, tabled by Senators Joe Manchin and Marco Rubio, would make it a federal crime to knowingly assault hospital staff.
“Our nation’s healthcare staff tirelessly look after the health and well-being of communities across the country, even within the face of increased violence, threats and intimidation,” Senator Manchin said in a press release on the time. “This laws would create a safer working environment for hospital staff, deter violent behavior and be certain that assailants are appropriately held accountable.”
The American Hospital Association has supported the laws, calling it a “’significant step forward” in protecting healthcare staff.
“The sharp rise in violence against caregivers is clearly documented, yet no federal law exists to guard them,” AHA president and CEO Rick Pollack said. “Enactment of this bipartisan laws can be a big step forward in protecting our workforce. The AHA commends Senators Manchin and Rubio for his or her leadership on this issue.”
However, while nearly 40 states have passed laws to extend penalties for violence against healthcare staff, similar federal laws has didn’t pass. Last 12 months, Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which tasked the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with creating violence prevention measure requirements for healthcare and social service workplaces.
The bill didn’t advance before being reintroduced in April, however it has since stalled again.
In November, a former Hawaii psychiatric hospital patient was indicted on a murder charge within the stabbing death of a nurse at the power.
