Last June, two nurses and a physician at Encino (Calif.) Hospital Medical Center were stabbed in the emergency department by a patient. A year later, nurses allege the hospital hasn't ramped up security measures enough to prevent such incidents from happening again, the Los Angeles Daily News reported May 31.
On June 3, 2022, 35-year-old Ashkan Amirsoleymani presented to the ED asking to be treated for anxiety before stabbing the healthcare workers. Police said the individual was charged with three counts of attempted murder, and the nurses and physician were stabilized.
Ninety nurses at the hospital represented by SEIU say a year later, there still aren't enough security officers or metal detectors to prevent weapons from being brought in. The union nurses also oppose a policy that requires them to check patients' bags.
"Even before the attack on our emergency department, nurses were calling for more security," Gloria Mateos, RN, an ER nurse at Encino hospital, told the Daily News. "That incident should have woken them up."
In a statement to Becker's, Encino Hospital Medical Center said it has "developed and implemented safety-centric programs," including ongoing training and education.
"Our efforts included a joint law enforcement and fire department safety conference and incident debriefings. These were all conducted and attended [by] our local police divisions." The statement also highlighted courses available to staff on crisis intervention and "management of assaultive behavior and de-escalation."