Hospitals support measures to protect nurses

Some Massachusetts hospitals are supporting contract language and safety measures to protect nurses from verbal abuse, intimidation or assault in emergency rooms, psychiatric units and waiting areas.

The workplace violence prevention language, approved by the Massachusetts Nurses Association and several hospitals, calls for a range of programs and policies, from safety committees and personal escorts to emotional counseling for abused nurses and physical protection for healthcare staff. Testimony is set for today at the State House on a workplace safety bill filed by the MNA.

Aggressive and abusive behavior appear to be rising at US healthcare facilities due to overcrowding, longer waits, and an influx of individuals with addictions or psychiatric disorders, said Gail Lenehan, editor of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Hospital officials say violence is rare, but when researchers from the MNA and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst polled 172 nurses at three hospitals this year, more than 30 percent said they were physically threatened over the last two years and 25 percent said they'd been pinched, scratched, spit on or their hands or wrists were twisted on the job. ''Fifty percent reported being punched at least once," said the preliminary report. ''Seven said people have tried to strangle them in the past two years, eight said they were sexually assaulted, and two were intentionally stuck with contaminated needles."

Charlene Richardson, 38, has been speaking out about the problem since a patient grabbed her in the crotch two years ago and would not let go. Nine months ago, Richardson transferred out of the emergency room at Beverly Hospital. ''I felt almost like a rape victim because it was such a personal attack," she said. ''The pain -- he actually tore through my scrub pants -- made me feel like I had been violated."

At Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, contract language introduced this year requires escorts to parked cars within 30 minutes of a call to security, and guarantees confidential medical and counseling services to injured nurses. Similar language has been approved by Newton Wellesley Hospital. And another contract at the Worcester-based University of Massachusetts Medical Center, parent of UMass Memorial , calls for training and ''post crisis intervention, including medical and emotional treatment" for nurses.

Lori Hempstead, administrative director of emergency service for Northeast Health Systems, said the healthcare system will begin construction on a $6.5 million emergency room facility at Beverly Hospital this fall that will cater to patients with behavioral or psychiatric issues. Currently, regular medical and behavioral patients are seen in the same emergency room, where the average wait is about 80 minutes. ''Hospitals, from what I've seen, are taking this very seriously," said Hempstead. ''This is not just about nurses. We have an obligation to provide safety to patients and visitors, everybody who comes through the door."

Diane E. Lewis can be reached at dlewis@globe.com.