SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Nursing Union, SATSE, has condemned the attack suffered by a nurse at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC), in Tenerife, by the parent of a patient in the Pediatric ICU, facts that have already been communicated to the Management . In addition, the attacker dedicated himself to scolding and insulting the nurses of the same service and hitting the furniture, denounces SATSE.
The Nursing Union has indicated in a statement that it is necessary “to put an end to this type of violence, since you cannot insult, rebuke, much less attack professionals who simply do their job.” In fact, the union maintains that the problems and shortcomings that patients and family members may suffer “are not the responsibility of the professional who, on many occasions, is the first victim of the deficiencies of the health system.”
The Canary Islands registered 296 attacks on toilets during the year 2022, of which only 12% were reported to the Prosecutor’s Office. In this sense, the Nursing Union reminds health professionals of the importance of reporting any type of aggression they may suffer, since it is the best instrument to deter potential aggressors. Likewise, it reminds users that there are ways to claim in all SCS health centers.
The Nursing Union emphasizes that it has been working for many years to put an end to the serious problem of violence in the health field and to help all professionals who have suffered any type of aggression. In many cases, this traumatic experience prevents many professionals from being able to carry out their work normally again, due to the psychological damage suffered.
The trade union organization has a free telephone help service available to professionals, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Likewise, SATSE has been working for some time on permanent information and awareness campaigns with the aim of having ‘zero tolerance’ for attacks.
Recently, SATSE has presented a state bill that contemplates more than 50 specific measures to fight in a joint, coordinated and effective way against physical and verbal violence suffered by health professionals.
In the area of prevention, the union proposes measures such as generalizing 24-hour video surveillance systems in corridors and in waiting and admission rooms, and having sound alarm devices in consultations. The lighting must also be optimal in any room in the center.
Another action is to include in the patient’s medical history his history as an active subject of sanitary violence, if applicable. Among those of an organizational nature, it proposes reducing waiting times, guaranteeing an adequate and safe ratio of patients per nurse and implementing a duly protocolized organization system for patients and their families.
The union organization is also committed to the creation of the figure of the *delegate for prevention against violence in the health field, which would form part of the Center’s Health and Safety Committee. His function would be to monitor compliance with the measures put in place, as well as to sue them if they were not being developed properly.
