A nurse taking a work break around 3 a.m. near an employee parking lot at a Florida hospital was blitz-attacked by a man with a tire iron on July 6, 2023. The nurse was able to fight off the attacker, but not before being struck five or six times in the head, which caused severe lacerations and swelling. The assailant fled after she fought back and screamed for help.
The nurse was able to give a good description of the man to the police, who located him riding a bicycle nearby. A bloody tire iron was in the bicycle basket and his shirt had a fresh bloodstain on the front. Police arrested the 27-year-old attacker and charged him with attempted felony murder.
A couple weeks earlier, at a different Florida hospital, a nurse was sitting in her car on a lunch break when a patient who had just been discharged from the hospital tried to carjack her. She said the man told her to let him in and said he had a gun. He then tried to open the back door, so she honked her horn loudly until he left.
The nurse described the man to the police and a 38-year-old man was subsequently arrested at a nearby gas station. The nurse positively identified him as the suspect, and he was charged with attempted carjacking.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Employers are obligated to comply with OSHA guidelines and standards, and to ensure that all healthcare staff work in a safe environment. Failure by a facility to follow OSHA guidelines and regulations may result in a financial penalty and other sanctions. Federal regulations on emergency preparedness include specific requirements for nursing homes’ emergency preparedness plans, such as requirements that facilities complete a facility-based and community-based, all-hazards risk assessment and develop strategies to address the risks identified. Emergency plans, training, exercises, and procedures require frequent review and updates to address modern-day safety realities, and to keep healthcare employees safe.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures related to workplace violence and active shooter prevention and response. Ensure that the policies and procedures incorporate OSHA’s guidelines and standards that are designed to support a safe working environment. Review your emergency preparedness plan and update as necessary. Make sure the plan is available to staff so they can easily access the guidelines for the various components should an emergency occur.
- Train all staff on your policies and procedures related to workplace violence, active shooter, and emergency preparedness. Include this education in new hire orientation and annually to all staff. Repeat training should an incident occur. Ensure that all leadership staff are knowledgeable of OSHA’s guidelines and standards for a safe working environment. Conduct drills for the various disaster response plans to ensure staff competency with each. Document that these trainings and drills occurred, and file the signed documents in each employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to ensure that staff are trained and knowledgeable of the OSHA guidance provided in your policies and procedures related to all categories of workplace violence, and that these protocols are being followed. Also audit staff to ensure that they are aware of their roles during an emergency per your emergency preparedness plan.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, LLC for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*
