The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) released a series of videos featuring the stories of hospital nurses across the state who have firsthand experience with workplace violence in clinical settings.
The videos have been released in recognition of the annual Hospitals Against Violence initiative, which focuses on “identifying strategies to combat workplace and community violence,” according to VHHA.
Healthcare workers account for 73 percent of all non-fatal workplace violence injuries, according to VHHA.
One nurse in Northern Virginia highlighted by VHHA who experienced workplace violence detailed his experience one day at work with an “aggressive man” who punched the nurse in the face, wrestled him on the floor, and said he was “going to kill” him.
Another nurse from central Virginia, highlighted by VHHA, detailed her workplace violence incident, which involved her being physically assaulted by a patient.
“I was struck in the face twice, slammed on the ground, and strangled – basically fighting for my life until one of my co-workers could save me,” the nurse explained.
A nurse leader from Southwest Virginia highlighted in one of VHHA’s videos detailed her experience with workplace violence, which was seeing one of her emergency room team members have bruising on her neck from being physically assaulted by an elderly patient days prior.
According to VHHA, the videos are intended to “educate the public about the growing prevalence of workplace violence in health care settings, appropriate behavior in clinical settings, and how the disruption of workplace violence impacts other patients’ ability to access timely care.”
“The raw, emotional stories shared in these videos are not isolated incidents. The sad reality is that hospital team members and other health care professionals face a heightened risk of workplace violence greater than workers in other industries,” VHHA added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network.
