Truths your pre-med advisors never tells you...

[crankyoldman]

Regrettably, there are way too many incidents against professionals in a variety of professions:
lawyers https://www.americanbar.org/groups/bar_services/publications/bar_leader/2012_13/may_june/matter_life_death_bar_associations_respond_recent_attacks_lawyers_judges/
teachers(the APA calls this a “hidden crisis”)
https://www.apa.org/education/k12/teacher-victimization

and physicians
https://thedo.osteopathic.org/2018/09/violence-against-physicians-facing-an-elevated-risk/

Based on the above, combined with the described assaults on healthcare providers, it’s clear that there is a problem across our society where violence has become entirely too commonplace.

And being “naive” has nothing to do with any of this; if you’re taking an H&P and the patient and/or family member physically assaults you, how does one prepare for this? A physician can’t, unless actual patient contact is eliminated.

[WayOutWestMom]

Workplace violence against healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, therapists) is significantly higher than in other other profession.

According to OSHA, serious violence in healthcare settings happens 4 times more often than in any other industry. (OSHA defines serious violence as any assault that requires two or more days off from work to recuperate.)

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3826.pdf
https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/healthcare-workers-face-violence-epidemic

In 2018, OSHA reported that 75% of ALL incidents of workplace violence occurred in healthcare settings.

Additionally, among nurses, only 30% reported being assaulted to supervisors or authorities; among physicians the report rate is 26%.

Factors in the uptick of workplace violence against healthcare workers, according the Joint (CDC + OSHA) Commission report on Physical and verbal violence against health care workers

• Stressful conditions, such as long wait times or crowding in the clinical environment or being given “bad news” related to a diagnosis or prognosis.
• Lack of organizational policies and training for security and staff to recognize and deescalate hostile and assaultive behaviors from patients, clients, visitors, or staff.
• Gang activity.
• Domestic disputes among patients or visitors.
• The presence of firearms or other weapons.
• Inadequate security and mental health personnel on site.
• Understaffing, especially during mealtimes and visiting hours.
• Staff working in isolation or in situations in which they can be trapped without an escape route.
• Poor lighting or other factors restricting vision in corridors, rooms, parking lots and other areas.
• No access to emergency communication, such as a cell phone or call bell.
• Unrestricted public access to hospital rooms and clinics.
• Lack of community mental health care.

https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/18/SEA_59_Workplace_violence_4_13_18_FINAL.pdf

Cleveland Clinic in NE Ohio confiscated 30,000 weapons from visitors in 2018.
https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/02/28/nearly-weapons-seized-cleveland-clinic-facilities-ceo-calls-violence-against-health-professionals-an-epidemic/

[Mwfan1921]

Cleveland Clinic in NE Ohio confiscated 30,000 weapons from visitors in 2018.

Truly mind-boggling. Assuming CC is open 24/7 ---- that’s an average of 82/day and 3.4/hour

[ucbalumnus]

@crankyoldman

Based on the above, combined with the described assaults on healthcare providers, it’s clear that there is a problem across our society where violence has become entirely too commonplace.

Crime generally in the US has fallen considerably since its early 1990s peak (although crime in the US is still higher than in many other rich countries). Has workplace crime or crime against health care workers gone counter to the general trend?

[crankyoldman]

Not sure what your point is; there’s still plenty of violence against healthcare workers, so whether general trends are up or down is irrelevant. The problem exists, and if it is a percentage point or two up or down compared to years past doesn’t address the current problem, which is that workers are subject to violence all too often.
And it isn’t all healthcare workers who are at the top of the numbers; being a HS teacher is pretty dangerous, too(let alone being a bus driver):
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/wv09.pdf

[thumper1]

@Mwfan1921 Cleveland Clinic has a large number of hospitals in NE Ohio. The way I read this article…these were confiscated from their “facilities”…maybe more than one campus, not just the main one.

But still…agree…it’s a huge number of weapons confiscated.