Skip to content

Time to de-normalize violence in Ontario hospitals: Researchers

'We can't ignore this issue any longer,' says authors of study
041217_AP_violence_in_hospitals
Researchers James Brophy, right, and Margaret Keith, centre, authors of “Assaulted and Unheard: Violence Against Healthcare Staff,” are joined by Michael Hurley, president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) in Sudbury on Dec. 4. The presented the findings in their report. (Arron Pickard/Sudbury.com)

A pair of researchers from southern Ontario are hoping to lend a voice to the thousands of health-care workers in Ontario who have been subjected to physical and sexual violence while on the job.

James Brophy and Margaret Keith authored “Assaulted and Unheard: Violence Against Healthcare Staff,” a report that delves into how workplace violence affected Ontario hospital staff physically, psychologically, interpersonally and financially. They spent about two months conducting in-depth group interviews with 54 health-care workers representing a range of occupations and years of experience. 

Through their research, the found more than 75 per cent of the direct-care staff they interviewed had been assaulted over a 12-month period, and that more than 20 per cent had been assaulted at least nine times.

As well, 42 per cent had been sexually harassed or sexually assaulted and 44 per cent were afraid to report these incidents for fear of reprisal.

“When we went into this research, we had no idea of the magnitude of this problem,” Keith said.

“Since the article was published — it was featured in “New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy — we've come to understand this issue was talked about in whispers, and anyone who has a friend or family member working in health care, seems to know about this issue. We did not, which we think supports our premise that this is largely being hidden from the public.

“We think the public has a right to know what's going on. We can't ignore this issue any longer, just as we can't disregard domestic assault, discrimination or sexual assault. We're wrong to dismiss it, or make excuses for it, or silence those who suffer from it.”

She said conducting the research was very difficult, because they had to talk to people who had been, in some cases, very seriously physically assaulted, some who face harassment and abuse every day, some who have been sexually abused or assaulted.

In fact, many said they regularly go into work fearing they will be physically assaulted by their patients. Compounding the problem problem is what Keith calls a culture of silence. 

“The problem has been concealed from public scrutiny, and there's a culture of silence supported by real or perceived threats of reprisal if they speak out, and as a result, there's little public pressure to change the conditions that lead to violence.”

For too long, the issue of violence in Ontario hospitals has been “normalized,” she said. In many circumstances, the violence is just thought of as part of the job, and that results in a systemic under-reporting of these incidents.

“Many (of those interviewed) felt unsupported by their supervisors, and some felt they were blamed for the assaults they experienced,” Keith said.

The study also found a lack of institutional and legislative acknowledgment of the enormity of the problem of violence against health-care staff and a corresponding lack of resources, such as adequate staffing appropriate facilities, preventative programs, like zero-tolerance policies and security measures and ensuring adequate staffing levels.

The researchers are calling for whistle-blower protection so that workers can report incidences of violence without fear of losing their jobs.

“We know that ending violence against health-care workers is  not going to have a simple on-off light switch solution,” said Brophy. “It will require acceptance that there is a huge problem, focus on prevention and an in-depth look at the overall health of our health-care system.”


Comments

Verified reader

If you would like to apply to become a verified commenter, please fill out this form.




Arron Pickard

About the Author: Arron Pickard

Read more