25/02/2025
After the shooting Saturday at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York County, Pennsylvania, and the brutal attack of a nurse this week in one of my own facilities, I feel sorrow and concern for my fellow nurses, but I will not give up on the work we have to do.
All too often emergency nurses and other health care professionals are injured by patients or their companions around the U.S. and around the world.
Just this month:
• A police officer was killed and a nurse, doctor, another hospital employee and two other law enforcement officers were shot in Pennsylvania https://cnn.it/4hVaSv2
• A Florida nurse suffered multiple broken facial bones and possible loss of both eyes https://bit.ly/4gPtkUt
• A Kentucky nurse was punched, dragged and stomped on https://bit.ly/4hMOvaX
• Two Chicago emergency room staff members were stabbed https://bit.ly/4hW4ljx
• Two emergency department nurses were punched and scratched in Pennsylvania https://bit.ly/4gTj11B
Violence against health care professionals is a multifaceted problem that requires multifaceted solutions.
That’s why the Emergency Nurses Association continues to advocate for legislative and regulatory changes that support our positions in pursuit of a world where every emergency nurse is fully supported to provide the highest quality care and promote injury prevention.
That means safe and secure work environments, training and prevention efforts, the highest prosecution for assailants, and safe access to appropriate care for all patients.
As devastating as these events are and the increased frequency at which they are occurring, we must stand together and continue to speak out and push for our safety and the protections our colleagues, our patients, and our communities so deserve.
I stand with you in the fight and in your service.
ENA President Ryan Oglesby |
