The article discusses a rise in hospital violence, often coinciding with COVID-19 surges and full moons, based on data from wearable safety devices used by healthcare workers. Canopy’s Protect system, worn by around 200,000 healthcare staff across 800 U.S. facilities, recorded 22,000 alerts in 2023 for immediate help due to emerging threats or active violence. These incidents occurred throughout the hospital, affecting over 10% of staff in various roles, including nurses, physicians, and even cafeteria and gift shop workers.
Key findings include:
- Increased Incidents Outside Emergency Departments: Most alerts were triggered outside of emergency departments (EDs), with 40.5% in EDs and the rest in inpatient, surgery areas, ICUs, and other non-patient areas.
- Uptick During Weekdays and Non-Holidays: There was a 20% increase in alerts on weekdays and a 12% decrease during holidays. This is significant as weekends and holidays are usually busier and often understaffed.
- Full Moon Influence: Alerts rose by 9% during full moons, supporting the notion of “full moon madness” among medical staff, though most studies find no direct correlation between lunar phases and hospital admissions.
- Impact of COVID-19 Surges: Alerts were 8% more frequent during times when COVID-19 hospital admissions increased by 50%.
The article also notes a broader concern about violence against healthcare workers, with recent warnings from the CDC and other provider groups. Canopy’s CEO, Shan Sinha, emphasizes the importance of using technology to protect staff and de-escalate threats. Additionally, recent healthcare system investments and legislation, such as the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act, aim to address these concerns. However, healthcare workers, particularly nurses, feel more could be done to mitigate workplace violence. The CDC has reported increases in burnout, stress, anxiety, and depression among healthcare workers, trends linked to rising harassment.