Workplace violence has increased alongside staffing issues during the pandemic, a new survey from the nation’s largest registered nurses union finds.
the investigation, Posted Thursday The National Nurses Federation surveyed 2,575 registered nurses. In addition to concerns about workplace violence and unsafe working conditions, many hospital RNs report that their hospitals are not adequately prepared for a Covid-19 surge.
“We are now more than three years into the pandemic, and not only is staffing worse, but workplace violence is on the rise,” said Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, a registered nurse and union president. Experiencing appalling mental anguish and trauma.”
According to the latest NNU survey, nearly half (48%) of hospital nurses reported a slight or significant increase in workplace violence. That’s higher than the 30.6 percent of nurses who reported the same in the union’s September 2021 survey and 21.9 percent in the March 2021 survey.
The latest investigation did not provide specific details on the violence.But before the union reported that: “Violence against nurses and other health care workers in hospitals and other healthcare facilities is a growing epidemic in the United States. Nurses report being punched, kicked, bitten, beaten, choked and beaten on the job — some Also facing stabbings and shootings.”
Unions say the pandemic has exacerbated the problem of workplace violence.It emphasizes that it is preventable and cites such as Reduction and outsourcing of security personnel.
Nurses report that hospitals are not preparing enough for an increase in Covid-19 cases, putting them at risk.
“Many nurses reported that their hospitals did not have surge plans or stockpile enough personal protective equipment to protect staff,” Triunfo-Cortez said. “Some RNs are still reusing single-use PPE and putting their health and well-being at risk. At risk, it doesn’t make sense.”
Only 32% of hospital nurses reported that their employers had enough PPE stockpiles to protect employees from the rapid COVID-19 surge.
Staffing problems are also only getting worse, most of the nurses surveyed reported. That includes 64.5% of hospital nurses reporting excessive overtime at their facilities to staff units, up from about 49% in September.
Unions have been advocating Federal Registered Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Legislation Triunfo-Cortez said and asked OSHA to issue a permanent standard to protect nurses and other healthcare workers from Covid-19 in the workplace.
Some nurses also reported that they were not fully prepared for the job. More than a quarter, or 26.5%, of nurses reported that they were “floated” or reassigned to care for patients in areas of clinical care that required new skills or were beyond their abilities. That’s up from about 18 percent who reported the same in September. Nearly half, or 46 percent, reported that they had no education or preparation prior to being transferred to an unspecialized unit.
Photo: Tempura, Getty Images
