NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Almost two years ago, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across Tennessee rallied to support hospital staff and nurses working in medical facilities. People drive by hospitals with signs of support, honoring their hard work on the frontlines.
Now, some hospital staff said that time is over. More people are arriving in medical facilities slapping or punching staff, they said. Health care workers said they are seeing more violent and aggressive behavior among patients.
"It's not uncommon to hear a story or two, several times a day," said Paul Raymond, a nurse manager at Vanderbilt Medical Center. "They're often looking to us for answers that sometimes are incredibly difficult to find, and often they're not the answer that people want to hear."
Raymond said that people have frequently thrown fits in the medical center, cursing and grabbing staff. Sometimes, he said they try to bargain with providers, pushing for staff to give them specific kinds of medicine.
In the past, he said that incidents like these were reported around once per month. He said more incidents may break out for several reasons, such as stress as a result of being in a hospital. Strict visitation rules and frustration from other healthcare-related stressors could also contribute to aggressive behavior, he said.
The Tennessee Nurses Association said that several incidents have been reported across the state. In July, lawmakers also made aggravated in-hospital assault against a nurse a Class C felony.
"The rules we have in place, although sometimes seeming onerous, have to exist because we need to provide safe care to these patients," said Raymond.
Vanderbilt Medical Center offers an employee wellness program that supports staff members. Hospital workers are also required to report any acts of violence to authorities.