An elderly patient attacked nurses at St. John's Hospital in Maplewood, Minn., shining a light on workplace violence in the healthcare industry, according to a Star-Tribune report.
The elderly patient wielded a metal rod and chased after nurses who were working the night shift, as seen in a video released this week. The patient, who later died of undetermined causes after being apprehended, left one nurse with a collapsed lung and another with a broken wrist, according to the report.
The rate of violent crime, assault, disorderly conduct, theft and vandalism in hospitals increased from 2013 to 2014, according to an International Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation survey.
According to the Star-Tribune report, the trend in hospitals taking on patients with more complex needs leaves nurses and other clinicians with more demanding shifts and less time to look out for patients with possible behavioral problems.