CARIBOU, Maine — On Friday, June 7, Cary Medical Center joined hospitals across the nation in addressing the issue of violence against healthcare workers. The American Hospital Association established the national campaign to increase awareness in regard to a growing threat for nurses and doctors, particularly in hospital emergency departments. Kris Doody, RN and CEO of Cary Medical Center said that the issue is escalating at hospitals throughout the country and here in Northern Maine.
“We have seen a steady increase in violence against our staff in recent years,” said Doody who is also CEO for Pines Health Services. “In response to this issue we created our own, in-house security force, 24-7. While this has helped we continue to see verbal and physical abuse of our staff on a routine basis.”
According to the American Hospital Association, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare workers are now five times more likely to be victims of workforce violence than workers overall. Two out of three emergency department physicians report being assaulted in 2022, some commenting that they are assaulted every week. Nearly one-half of nurses experience physical violence at work and 68 percent experience verbal abuse.
Currently there is no federal law that protects healthcare workers from workforce violence. A bill currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate S. 2768, The Safety from Violence for Healthcare Workers Act is designed to address the issue.
Mitch Wheeler, head of the Cary Medical Center’s security force, said that violence against staff at the hospital is on the increase.
“Virtually everyone who works in the hospital’s emergency department has experienced either physical or verbal abuse, ” said Wheeler, who has previously worked in law enforcement.
“Our security staff have been assaulted resulting in broken bones and other serious injuries.” Wheeler said that the addition of the full time security department at Cary has been a great benefit to staff. “We have established a great relationship with hospital staff,” said Wheeler, who also leads the security program at the Houlton Regional Hospital. “Staff have come to trust us and they know that we have their backs.”
Security staff members have extensive training and respect the ability of hospital staff to deescalate situations.
“Oftentimes nurses can calm a potentially violent patient,” he said. “We respect that and only become involved when the situation is escalating to a point where intervention is necessary. Our goal is to protect our staff and our patients from harm and to help get the patient the treatment they require.”
Jenn Plant, RN, chief nursing officer at Cary, said that protecting healthcare workers is the highest priority for Cary Medical Center and is particularly important for direct caregivers.
“No one who works to help care for patients should ever be fearful for their safety,” said Plant. “We want to do everything we can to keep our workers safe and help them to fulfill their mission of caring. That is why they chose a healing profession and they deserve a safe work environment.”
On June 7, staff at Cary wore buttons that highlight the issue of workforce violence. The buttons have the symbol, H A V, Hospitals Against Violence. The hospital is also working with Maine’s congressional delegation in support of legislation that will increase penalties for acts of violence against healthcare workers.
