kaiser health news story san leandro hospital emergency department nurse mawata kamara works went lockdown of late visitor agitate barred seeing patient imputable restrictions threatened bring gun california facility first time department faced hitman threat pandemic earlier year psychiatric patient role fountainhead known department became increasingly violent spewing racial slurs spitting toward staff member lobbing punches eventually threatening shoot kamara face violence always problem kamara said pandemic really added magnifying earliest days pandemic nightly celebrations lauded bravery wellness care workers eighteen month later prole say experiencing horrify rise violence workplaces nurse testified georgia senate study committee september attacked patient seriously last spring landed er hospital research medical center kansas urban center missouri security shout out covid unit said nurse jenn caldwell visitor aggressively yelled nursing staff condition wife patient missouri treble strongarm assaults nurses prompted cox aesculapian center on branson issue panic buttons worn employees identification badges lawsuits vaccine mandates likely fail expert infirmary executives already attuned workplace violence pandemic struck stresses covid exacerbated problem say prompting increased security training pleas civility many hospitals work address issue nurses workers pushing federal legislation create enforceable standard nationwide paul sarnese executive virtua wellness new jersey president international tie healthcare security safety said many studies show wellness care workers practically likely victims aggravated assault workers industry federal data shows health care workers face nonfatal accidental injury workplace violence early comprehensive stats pandemic even michelle sir william wallace chief nursing officer grady health system peach state said force likely even higher many victims patient assaults report say part job said wallace advocates reporting caldwell said nurse less three months first time assaulted work patient spit little joe years since estimated gone three months without verbally physically dishonor would say expected accepted caldwell said lot people mental wellness issues come kids lost caretaker majority children colourize cdc study jackie gatz vice president safety preparedness missouri hospital association said lack behavioral health resources spur violence patients seek discourse genial health take substance use disorderliness ers life also spill inside hospital violent episodes began outside continuing inside comportment law enforcement officers escalating tensions feb report national nurses united union kamara caldwell representatives offers another possible ingredient staffing levels allow workers sufficient time agnize possibly volatile situations covid unit nurse also shouldered extra responsibilities pandemic duties feeding patients drawing blood cleaning rooms would typically conducted hospital staffers harbour cant over task minimize number workers visiting rooms covid patients treated workload increased number patients nurse oversees unchanged leaving little time hear concerns visitors scared loved ones the likes of man aggressively yelled nurse erskine preston caldwell unit september hospital nanny surveyed union said faced workplace violence march bryce gartland hospital group president emory health care said violence intensify pandemic worn particularly latest wave infections hospitalization insurance deaths health care workers first answerer battlefield months garland said like increase violence airplanes sports bowl school board converge revolt tenseness within hospitals could reflection go up tensions outside william mahoney president cox medical exam rivet branson said internal political anger acted locally