Data collection on violence against Missouri healthcare workers has been paused but the trend has continued despite the pandemic, according to local experts.
“During the period we were developing our understanding of the problem and working on mitigation, it was clear that violence against health care workers was increasing,” said Dave Dillon, spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association. “Without data, I cannot validate this trend continues. However, it is at a minimum possible, and highly likely, that the trend has continued even with the shifting dynamics.”
That’s because hospitals often connect with people when they are having a bad day.
“The atmosphere can be highly stressful and individuals may act in ways they otherwise might not,” Dillon told the St. Louis Record. “Moreover, a mental illness, substance abuse, and other factors can make these situations more common in a hospital than in the community.”
About 48% of hospitals report workplace violence or violent intruders as one of their top three internal risks, according to the 2019 MHA Preparedness and Safety Assessment, with assaults ranging from verbal abuse to physical harm.
“Violence can be from the patient or from a visitor,” Dillon said. “Reporting is necessary, but most experts believe that all types of abuse are under-reported. Without a sense of how these incidents occur, it can be difficult to put an effective strategy in place. No nurse or caregiver should ever assume that being the victim of an assault of any kind is just a part of the job.”
Incidents requiring security have intensified so much at Cox Medical Center Branson that hospital workers are preparing to wear badges that act as panic buttons during their shifts, according to media reports.
“Badge-linked alarms are one safety strategy among many,” Dillon said. “Video surveillance and body cameras are other technology-based solutions. All of these measures are tools within hospitals’ overall safety and security plan.”
Some 123 assaults occurred in 2020 compared to only 40 in 2019, according to the Branson hospital analysis, while 78 injuries happened in 2020 compared to only 17 in 2019.
“The full influence of COVID-19 is unknown,” Dillon said. “It is unlikely that a large portion of the violence we’re seeing is from critically ill COVID-19 patients. It is more likely that it would be associated with the circle around those individuals who believe they are advocating for them, or who cannot — but believe they should be able to — interact with that patient. Despite the science, there are strong feelings about this issue.”
As of Oct. 1, there have been 27,103 confirmed coronavirus cases and 586 deaths in the City of St. Louis alone, according to the city's COVID-19 dashboard.
“Hospital workers and frontline caregivers are likely targets for vitriol, given their status as experts in response and treatment,” Dillon added. “As with other violence-related challenges hospitals face, what happens in the community can manifest in the hospital.”