Additionally, data released Jan. 26 from the American Nurses Foundation found that 53 percent of nurses have experienced an increase in verbal abuse from patients, but 43 percent say there is not a reporting structure in place to report this or are unaware of one existing.
In light of these statistics, Geisinger Health System, headquartered in Danville, Pa., is setting out to tackle the issue to better protect its workforce of 24,000 employees and 1,700 employed physicians.
Narayana Murali, MD, the chief medical officer for medicine services at Geisinger, told AMA News that the health system has “created a multidisciplinary task force and systemwide oversight program to bolster security at all its sites.”
In 2023, Dr. Murali said Geisinger will accomplish this by investing in technology to further strengthen security teams, installing metal detectors to ensure weapons are not brought on-site, and engaging employees in hands-on active shooter as well as defensive trainings.
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