Two nurses at Richland, Wash.-based Kadlec Healthplex recently experienced patient violence, leading one of them to make the hashtag #EndNurseAbuse to bring awareness to workplace violence in the healthcare setting, according to KNDU Local News.
Here are five things to know:
1. Karina Bethje, RN, a nurse at the health clinic, was one of the three nurses injured while detaining an aggressive patient Sept. 9, according to court documents cited by NBC. Ms. Bethje posted about her injuries on Facebook with the hashtag #EndNurseAbuse.
2. Ashley Schade, RN, a second nurse at Kadlec Healthplex, was choked by a patient Sept. 16. Court documents show Ms. Schade was changing the patient's IV when he grabbed at her neck and told her, "I'm going to kill you." She also shared her experience through a Facebook post, which was shared 66,000 times as of Sep. 30.
"I’m putting this out there to bring awareness of what is happening in hospitals. Not just in big cities, but right here," Ms. Schade wrote in the post.
3. The Washington State Nurses Association released a statement to KNDU, urging Kadlec Healthplex and hospitals across Washington "to ensure adequate staffing of nurses, healthcare workers and security personnel, along with needed training on how to handle violent medical patients."
4. WSNA claims violence against nurses has increased by 110 percent over the past 10 years.
"Nurses should not have to risk their personal safety just to do their jobs of giving patients the very best care," the statement continued.
5. Kadlex Healthplex is currently looking for ways to strengthen security measures at its healthcare facility.
"Kadlec does not tolerate any aggression against members of our staff. Unfortunately, we recognize workplace violence in health care settings across the country is on the rise and that our organization is no exception. We are concerned about this trend and we take threats against our staff very seriously. Our highest priority at Kadlec is the safety of our caregivers and patients," Kadlec said in a statement cited by KNDU.