Emergency Physicians and Emergency Nurses Unite to Stop ED Violence

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The statistics are staggering. According to surveys by American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), almost half of emergency physicians and about 70 percent of emergency nurses have been physically assaulted at work.

That's why ACEP and ENA have launched "No Silence on ED Violence," a new campaign to stop these attacks and protect emergency department (ED) professionals and patients. This joint effort aims to support, empower and protect those working in our nation's emergency departments by raising awareness of the serious dangers emergency health providers face every day, and by generating action among stakeholders and policymakers to ensure a violence-free workplace for emergency nurses and physicians.

"If you asked the majority of our nurses and our physicians, they have all been impacted directly by violence?as have I. It goes everywhere from verbal violence, which happens frequently, to physical violence," said ACEP President William Jaquis, MD, FACEP. "Ultimately, we hope that in sharing our stories we will gain insight and share resources on how to prevent any future harm to our medical teams and our patients."

Added ENA President Patti Kunz Howard, PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, TCRN, NE-BC, FAEN, FAAN, "No nurse or physician in the emergency department?or any other health care professional?should feel unsafe. We're there to care for people, not to have to question our own safety. Workplace violence is really important to us in the emergency department because it really impacts the care we deliver."

The frequency of violent attacks on nurses, physicians and patients in our nation's emergency departments is unconscionable and unacceptable. For medical professionals, being assaulted in the emergency department?a place intended for care and healing?must no longer be tolerated as "part of the job."

Through No Silence on ED Violence, ACEP and ENA aim to drastically reduce emergency department violence and allow emergency physicians and nurses to able to focus on providing lifesaving treatment without living in constant fear for their safety. To learn more about the campaign, visit www.StopEDViolence.org where you can also hear an interview with Jaquis and Howard.

Join the conversation and share your stories on social media by using #StopEDViolence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) is the national medical society representing emergency medicine. Through continuing education, research, public education and advocacy, ACEP advances emergency care on behalf of its 40,000 emergency physician members, and the more than 150 million Americans they treat on an annual basis. For more information, visit www.acep.org.

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 44,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

SOURCE American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)