Violence in hospitals gets out of hand

Violence seems a part of life for those working on the front lines of this country's health care system.

The impact of workplace violence on the health care industry is enormous, exacting a heavy financial toll, according to a 2006 survey by the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia.

Facts in figures concerning violence against health care workers:

Injury claims

Nine percent of all B.C. health care workers' accepted claims are due to violence.

More than half of the accepted B.C. claims for health care workers are from nurses aides and licensed practical nurses.

One in five of the accepted B.C. claims for healthcare workers, due to violence in the workplace, is from registered nurses.

$24-million was spent from 2002 to 2006 in workers compensation claims involving violence against health-care workers, including physicians, nurses, care aides, pharmacists, housekeeping staff, technicians and administration.

162,934 days were lost in 2006 due to accepted claims of violence against health care workers in B.C.

Fourteen B.C. health workers were injured every week in 2006, as recorded in accepted violence claims.

Most often hurt workers' body parts in attacks

Arms, including wrists, fingers and elbows: 27 percent

Backs and shoulders: 25 percent

Head, including neck, face, eyes, ears and scalp: 14 percent

Violence against nurses in Canada:

A national survey of nearly 19,000 nurses done by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Health Canada and Statistics Canada in 2005 found the following:

29.6 Percent of nurses working in hospital said they were physically assaulted by a patient over the past 12 months

49.6 Percent of nurses who worked in a long-term care facility, such as a nursing home, said they were physically assaulted by a patient over the past 12 months

43.6 Percent of male nurses have faced physical assaults, be they in hospital, nursing homes, a community health centre or other health care settings

27.9 Percent of female nurses have faced physical assaults in the same settings

46.3 Percent of nurses working in a hospital said they were emotionally abused by a patient over the past 12 months

48 Percent of nurses working in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, said they were emotionally abused by a patient in the past 12 months

54.3 Percent of male nurses have reported suffering emotional abuse over the past 12 months, be it in a hospital, nursing home, a community health centre or other health-care related settings

43 Percent of female nurses have reported suffering emotional abuse in the same settings

46.7 Percent of nurses under 35 reported they have been emotionally abused by a patient in the past 12 months

38.2 Percent of nurses over 55 reported they have been emotionally abused by a patient in the past 12 months