Phlebotomists Facing Verbal, Physical Abuse by Patients
Study underscores the increasing risks to healthcare professionals
This blog post summarizes a recent study of verbal and physical violence inflicted on emergency department personnel including phlebotomists by patients.
by Dennis Ernst
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recently published the results of a study assessing the extent of verbal and physical violence inflicted upon their ED staff by patients and family members. Seventy-five percent of phlebotomists reported being verbally abused while 17% reported being physically abused. Only 5% of verbal abuse among all personnel were reported at the time of the abuse and 18% of physical abuse. Male employees in the study were more likely to report abuse than female employees.
Security personnel reported the highest level of abuse of any kind (98%) whereas 95% of nursing personnel reported abuse. Ninety percent of clinicians reported abuse.
Incidents of verbal and physical abuse between daytime, evening and nighttime shifts were equivalent. However, incidents that occurred during the day or overnight were more frequently reported than those that took place on evening shifts. The authors shared prior studies attributing the following contributors in the emergency department environment to violent acts by patients and their families:
- stress;
- long wait times and delays;
- crowding;
- unrestricted 24-hour access;
- low socioeconomic status;
- substance abuse;
- patients with behavioral health issues;
- gang activity;
- frequent delivery of “bad news.”
With 7 out of every 10 non-security staff members not reporting violence inflicted on them, the authors concluded violence in healthcare remains underappreciated. They stressed that more efforts are required to protect emergency staff and encourage reporting