Nurses Demand Better Protections Amidst Rising Violence at NY Psychiatric Centers

Patient Violence Against Healthcare Staff

• 🏥 Registered nurse Peter Schiffman was placed in a medically induced coma after being punched by a patient at a state-run psychiatric center on Staten Island.
• 🤕 Nurse practitioner Carl Ankra was slashed in the face by a patient who allegedly smuggled a razor, nearly losing his eye.
• ⚠️ Both incidents highlight the severe risks faced by mental health professionals in their line of duty.

Calls for Enhanced Safety Measures

• 🗣️ The head of the nurses union, Wayne Spence, states that assaults on staff are more common than official state records suggest, with an average of two per week.
• 🔒 Spence is advocating for better intake screenings, immediate removal of violent patients, and the re-establishment of forensic-like secure care units.
• 🏥 The union believes that a secure care unit model, which previously existed, is necessary for housing violent individuals not in custody.

State Response and Policy Changes

• 🏢 The Office of Mental Health (OMH) oversees New York's psychiatric centers and states a zero-tolerance policy for violence, claiming a low number of assaults.
• 📈 In response to Schiffman's assault, OMH implemented policy changes at his former workplace, including staff retraining on risk assessment and the establishment of a critical response unit.
• 🌍 While these changes have been made on Staten Island, the union and victims' families are pushing for these statewide policy revisions to ensure the safety of all healthcare workers.

Long-Term Impact on Staff

• 💔 Peter Schiffman is living with a traumatic brain injury, making daily life challenging, and his career has been significantly impacted.
• 😥 Carl Ankra, despite his severe injury, continues to work as a psychiatric nurse but in an outpatient capacity, feeling safer away from direct patient interaction.
• 💬 The experiences underscore the lasting psychological and physical toll that workplace violence can have on mental health professionals.