This has to be a growing problem as people when they are not feeling well are not their usual normal selves and frustration and tension take over, sometimes physically striking out.  As the current healthcare system operates today, there’s even more stress in wondering if one will be cared for, will the insurance pay for the bill, in other words, can I afford to be sick. It takes a special kind of person to work under these conditions day in and day out. In California, having a nurse to patient ratio has helped the situation, but security efforts are also needed.  BD

According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, half of all nonfatal injuries resulting from workplace assaults occur in health care and social service settings.

Nurses and other personal care workers bear the brunt of such attacks, with 25 injuries annually resulting in days off from work for every 10,000 full-time workers — 12 times the rate of the overall private sector, according to the bureau. The most dangerous settings are psychiatric units and nursing homes, where patients are often confused, disoriented or suffering from mental ailments, as well as emergency rooms, where long waits for care can anger patients, and the people with them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/health/08nurses.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

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