Becker's Hospital Review

90 CMO / CARE DELIVERY A 2021 study published in the Journal of Research in Nursing found workplace violence and verbal abuse increased nurses' emotional exhaustion, and nurses who reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion also had lower perceptions of patient safety in their organizations. e Joint Commission has routinely warned of the effect disrespectful behaviors can have on healthcare teams' performance, with consequences including medical errors and preventable adverse outcomes. Several physicians told Becker's their real- world experiences echo these findings. "It's difficult for nurses and doctors and other clinical staff to provide high-quality patient care when they're constantly worried about their personal safety, or they're distracted by disruptive patients or family members, or even have been traumatized from fire [or] violent interactions," Dr. Davidoff said. Leah Alexander, MD, a pediatrician at PediatricCare Associates in Fair Lawn, N.J., said she's encountered several situations in her 16 years in private practice that required law enforcement intervention. "One occasion that elicited the most fear was a father who told me, 'I wish I had a bomb,' and threatened gun violence toward one of my nurses," Dr. Alexander said. In these circumstances, the nurse or physician's top priority is to de-escalate the situation, which means the patient's needs may not be fully addressed, she added. Fear for staff safety could also lead to increased use of physical restraints on patients, which could be problematic, as research shows Black patients are more likely to be restrained than other patients, according to Dr. Miller. "So, there is also an equity component that we need to face," he said. Healthcare workers are only human As state and federal lawmakers propose legislation to better protect healthcare workers, hospitals weigh enhanced security measures and healthcare leaders call for gun safety reform, business as usual continues for healthcare workers. But "the concept of being superheroes has to be debunked," Ochsner's Dr. Girgrah said. "e community has to understand that physicians, nurses, [advanced practice providers and] healthcare workers are human. e superhero concept sort of propagates this sort of uneasiness about self-compassion and self-care." n Man dies after shooting himself at Florida hospital By Ayla Ellison A man died after shooting himself in the head at South Florida Baptist Hospi- tal in Plant City on July 12, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Hospital staff called 911 just before noon July 12 to report a man walked into the emergency department and revealed a firearm before shooting himself, according to a statement from the Plant City Police Department. The man was brought to a hospital room for treatment, but he died of his injuries, according to the report. Police said no hospital staff, visitors or other patients were injured, and the investigation is ongoing, according to WTSP. n NorthShore University Health called in 20 physicians to treat July 4th parade shooting victims By Erica Carbajal E vanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University Health System called in 20 physicians to Highland Park (Ill.) Hospital to treat victims of a mass shoot- ing at a suburban Chicago Fourth of July parade, CBS News reported. Police have identified Robert E. Crimo III, 22, as the person of interest who opened fire from a rooftop onto the crowd at the Highland Park parade, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Six people were killed. Thirty-eight people were taken to hospitals, 25 of whom sustained gunshot wounds. NorthShore University Health System's medical director of emergen- cy preparedness Dr. Brigham Temple said 19 of those gunshot-wounded vic- tims were treated and discharged July 4 at Highland Park Hospital. Two are still hospitalized, and others were transferred to other area hospitals. Highland Park Hospital was placed on lockdown immediately after the shoot- ing and within 30 minutes, 20 physicians and nurses and support staff were brought in to treat the victims, who ranged in age from 8 to 85. "There's been a lot of different events that have happened in the United States, and this obviously now has hit very close to home. It is a little surreal to have to take care of an event such as this, but all of us have gone through extensive training," Dr. Temple told CBS. "We go through a number of differ- ent programs, training. We practice for these events, even though we hope they never happen. So I think our team very admirably handled the situation today." Before paramedics arrived, physicians and nurses in the crowd began triaging victims and applying pressure to wounds. "I don't think I did anything heroic," David Baum, MD, an obstetrician who helped victims on the scene, told The New York Times. "I just did what a per- son who's a physician would do to try and help a little bit. n

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