ABOUT THIS EPISODE
“Code White” is a term used in many health care settings to alert workers to a real or perceived threat of violence. Unfortunately, they are being called more frequently, especially in emergency departments.
The reality is that health care workers face four times as great a rate of workplace violence than other professions. In emergency departments, more than 50% of nurses will be sexually harassed or assaulted this year. More than half are physically or verbally abused in any given week. And nearly 70% of emergency physicians -- like Dr. Howard Ovens at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto -- say ED violence has increased in the past five years.
“The pandemic has escalated all of this because everybody's testy and patients have shorter fuses, families have shorter fuses. They are acting out, especially around things like visitor restrictions as well as wait times. And with masks on, it's harder to establish rapport and a human connection... The entire atmosphere is much tenser, and it's contributed to an exodus from the profession, especially by nurses.” - Dr. Howard Ovens, ED physician
In this episode, Dr. Ovens describes the rising threats of violence in the ED and talks about why hospitals have a responsibility to keep doctors safe. And host Dr. Caroline Gérin-Lajoie speaks to medical psychotherapist Dr. Marcia Kostenuik about steps health care workers can take to prevent patient abuse and how they can recover from emotionally-charged interactions.
