Assault and Verbal Abuse Are Not Part Of the Job

More than two (2) acts of violence are committed each hour against nurses¹. That’s roughly 57 assaults a day.

What’s especially concerning is that this statistic does not include all healthcare professionals, nor does it capture unreported assaults chalked up to “part of the job”! Equally mind boggling is that the majority of these assaults are by patients. Patients, the same people healthcare workers solemnly pledge to help by making their health the first consideration.

While a bill called the Safer Hospitals Act (HB 3832)² recently passed the Georgia House, it is an after-the-fact penal solution that calls for 3-20 years prison time for assailants. Certainly a deterrent, but what about real-time intervention when caregivers need it most? “Nurses deserve to be protected and feel safe while caring for people in their most vulnerable state” says Dr. Jeff Doucette, Chief Nursing Officer, Press Ganey.¹

Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) can help create safer working environments.

An RTLS automatically identifies and tracks the location of equipment and people in real time, usually within a building. While some technologies track and locate objects with an attached bar code, people need something more. Midmark’s RTLS, CareFlow™ Staff Duress augments staff safety with a wearable personal distress button for unpredictable situations.

How Does It Work?

When a healthcare professional feels uncomfortable or is faced with an emergency, they need only to press the button on their personal Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) badge to send a discreet alert to nurse stations and/or security so help can be sent quickly.

The notification shows the staff member's name, location, and time the duress event was initiated. Responders can directly access the location of the event on the map. Alert notifications can be displayed in several ways, including a pop-up window or banner notice within the CareFlow Cloud Platform as well as via a desktop alert.

 Real World Application

Trinitas Regional Medical Center, a major center for comprehensive health services in central New Jersey implemented Midmark RTLS and saw real improvement over a two-year study. Consider these impressive statistics:

Despite a 39% increase in assaults on staff, post-implementation results reveal:

• 93.5% decrease in number of days lost from work – 108 days pre-implementation down to seven (7) post-implementation.
• 89% decrease in associated cost of wages - $14,291 lost pre-implementation and only $1,573 post-implementation.

Says, John Dougherty, Trinitas’s Director of Security, “Although we can’t prevent workplace violence, a system like Duress can lessen the aftermath of these incidents.”

In Conclusion

“Violence toward nurses has reached an alarming rate, nearing, if not already, an epidemic. We are calling on all healthcare leaders to declare zero tolerance for hostility toward healthcare workers, improve caregiver well-being, and advance our shared commitment to zero harm,” Dr. Jeff Doucette¹.

The Midmark Staff Duress RTLS solution was recognized by the Joint Commission’s Leading Practice Library³ and helps facilities adhere to violence prevention workplace safety standards established by the Joint Commission and OSHA⁴. Midmark is committed to using decades of healthcare experience to push the boundaries of what’s possible with RTLS.

A safer care environment is within reach.

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About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers. With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.

About Midmark: Midmark helps physicians and care teams deliver exceptional patient care with better equipment, smarter workflows, and integrated technology. Midmark Corporation is the only clinical environmental design company that enables a better care experience for the medical, dental, and animal health markets. With more than 1,800 teammates worldwide, Midmark focuses on harmonizing clinical space, technology and workflows for caregivers and patients at the point of care.