Violence against Healthcare workers in Philly

Healthcare facilities are considered a place of help and healing, however, healthcare workers do not feel so. This conversation was triggered when Nurse Julia Kristen (38) of the Einstein Medical Centre's Emergency Department was punched in her left eye. This incident occurred when nurse Kristen tried to administer an anti-anxiety shot to a very agitated patient. Kristen said that she was emotionally hurt due to the incident as she is usually good at de-escalating situations, she started contemplating her actions leading up to the incident. 

Kristen's case is one among many such incidents of violence against healthcare workers especially due to the pandemic, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that lack of staff, crowded emergency rooms, and shortage of essential materials to treat patients have led to multiple incidents of violence. The CDC also noted that healthcare employees have been subject to threats, stigma, and assault. The patients in emergency rooms are panicked and scored and when they do not get immediate attention they tend to take out their frustration on the staff.  Another act of violence occurred when a Jefferson Hospital nursing killed her coworkers at the Centre City Hospital. Many healthcare professionals like Angelo Neopolitan have accepted derogatory behavior as part of the job. Due to the escalation in frequency of such events, The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) has decided to meet with the Philadelphia District Attorney to discuss workplace violence in the healthcare sector. 

Source: The Morning Call