Health workers report significant increase in harassment at the work place

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The CDC says twice as many healthcare workers reported being harassed by patients in 2022 than in the previous survey. Workers who reported being harassed were more likely to have mental health issues than workers who weren’t harassed.

A lot of nurses have to get up close and personal with a patient as part of their job. Sometimes, though, patients react aggressively.

Sherri Miller, director of the North Dakota Nurses Association, said harassment toward nurses is particularly common since nurses are around patients 24/7.

“I personally have experienced it many years ago in my career, and that was even just being chased around a nurses’ station; that was kind of in a circle in the hallway after a 12-hour shift, which was more like a 15-hour shift after everything was said and done, and exhausted beyond belief and just being chased. I will never forget that because it was just a scary situation,” Miller said.

Some of the harassment in the CDC’s report included receiving threats, bullying and verbal abuse.

Sanford’s Director of Safety and Security Brad Erickson said while the majority of the harassment against workers comes in the form of verbal abuse, sexual harassment toward nurses happens as well.

“We are seeing it here in Bismarck-Mandan, and it’s been on a steady increase for, I would say, the last decade,” Erickson said.

He said Sanford recently implemented a behavioral response team health care workers can call on to help them de-escalate a situation in addition to basic de-escalation training available to all Sanford staff. Other steps like calling in security or writing up a behavioral contract can be utilized as well.

The Assault Against Healthcare Workers bill did not pass in the North Dakota legislature earlier this year. It was one vote short.

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