It seems as though nowhere is protected from offenses at the workplace.
Every day in the news we hear the same words:
- Sexual Harassment
- Bullying
- Physical Violence
- Verbal Abuse
But what we don’t expect is for these offenses to be happening in
the very places that are supposed to protect, nurture, and heal people.
Over the last 50 years, I have spent my career in healthcare, first as
a practicing physician, and then transitioned into hospital executive
leadership with some of the highest regarded hospital organizations in
our Country. No one could have convinced me back then that by the 21st
Century, these three [3] ugly behavioral characteristics would become
so prevalent in our industry. So much so, that on March 8, 2018, a member
of the US House of Representatives, Ro Khanna, and a dozen of his colleagues,
submitted a Bill to Congress entitled “Health Care Workplace Violence
Prevention Act”. That was followed by The Joint Commission issuance
of Sentinel Event Alert 59 on April 16, 2018…”Physical and
verbal violence against health care workers”. How has this gotten
so out of control?
Gary Slack, PE, and Jack Rutledge, and I comprise the National Healthcare
ED “Team”. Motivated by the adverse effects Sexual Harassment,
Bullying, and Workplace Violence can have on the healing environment that
patients expect when they enter our facilities, we joined forces with
Metropolitan Healthcare Security Directors Association of NYC, and the
Advanced Continuing Education Association to create an online program,
“Workplace Violence and Harassment in Healthcare”. Not only
does this three [3] module offering provide timely and informative material,
along with suggested correctional actions, but physicians subscribers
will earn CME credit, and nurses will garner CE credit.
Being a clinician whose lifelong quest has been to keep patients safe in
an environment of healing, I strongly urge my fellow clinicians to enroll
in this new training. You’ll learn how these behavioral traits if
left unchecked, can impact you, your fellow staff, and your patients…..and,
how you can be part of the cure.
To learn more about “Workplace Violence and Harassment in Healthcare”,
and to register for the program, go to
www.nationalhealthcareed.com, and click on the icon for this training.