In two months, 18 employees of Little Rock-based Arkansas Children's Hospital reported injuries following workplace violence incidents, five of which required medical care, the Arkansas Business reported March 11.
Between December and January, the hospital had nine workplace violence events. Hospital CEO Marcy Doderer also told the news outlet she received a personal threat from a former employee that was deemed credible by the FBI and that warranted extra security at her home and office.
Arkansas Children's isn't alone in the increase of violent incidents. A Children's Hospitals' Solutions for Patient Safety of Ohio survey found 82% of nurses reported they experienced at least one episode of workplace violence in the last year — up from 69% in 2019. The survey of hundreds of nurses included 150 children's hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.
A bill is currently pending in Congress that would provide federal protections for healthcare workers who are assaulted at work. In the meantime, hospitals are increasing security and providing psychiatric assessments for workers involved in violent incidents.