Valentino Tablang, a nurse at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, suffered a vicious attack by a patient on February 7th. The ER nurse was beaten in the face and according to the New York Post, he was worried that it may have left him with an injury so severe that it threatened his sight.
The Assault That Left An ER Nurse Beaten In The Face
On February 7, 55-year-old Valentino Tablang, an ER nurse, sustained a substantial amount of face injury due to a physical altercation from a patient.
Tablang, a nurse since 1988, recounted that he was working the 9-6 shift in the emergency room when an unclothed patient got out of bed. He says, “I went into the room to see which patient it was so I could call her doctor.”
In an effort to confirm the woman’s identity by checking her ID bracelet, Tablang attempted to view her ID bracelet. However, she reacted quickly and struck him in the head near his eye. He was shocked by the suddenness and recalled a bright light after the impact.
Thereafter Nikcia Martin, the 28-year-old patient involved in this incident was arrested. The prosecutor’s office sent Tablang paperwork revealing that her charges had been reduced.
The Case
According to New York State Penal Law, any individual who physically assaults a police officer, peace officer, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, or public health sanitarian is guilty of assault on a second degree which should be classified under Class D Felony. Which specifies serving a sentence of at least 2 years and a maximum of 7 years.
However, Martin is only charged with a misdemeanor. Tablang, displeased by this decision, declined to sign the complaint sent by the district attorney. He claims that they should have charged Martin with a felony.
According to reports, the prosecutors informed him that they had insufficient evidence to charge Martin at that level.
Three Assaults On Healthcare Workers This Month
Peggy Desiderio, co-president of the New York State Nurses Association, contacted the office of Alvin Bragg, the District Attorney of Manhattan. Desiderio said last Thursday, “Nurses are a powerful voting bloc. He better start protecting us.”
DA Bragg hasn’t taken any action to protect the healthcare workers. As per law enforcement records, there have been two more instances of assaults on medical personnel at Mount Sinai Morningside this month.
A 61-year-old Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital employee was the victim of an assault when a patient punched him in the face on February 4th.
On the 9th of February, a new nurse was hurt when a patient slammed the door on her arm. The nurse did not report the incident or choose to take legal action.
In October of last year, a technician also suffered from a patient attack. But when the police arrived at the hospital they saw no external signs of any aggression. Thus, they didn’t file a criminal case.
Protecting Healthcare Workers
The spokesperson of DA Bragg’s office, although unnamed, has sent an email emphasizing the importance of keeping nurses and healthcare workers safe while they continue to work hard to help New Yorkers stay healthy.
Senator Lanza expressed concern on Thursday that it is the DA’s responsibility to ensure that all government officials follow the law.
The nurse’s union alleges that the Manhattan Attorney’s Office overlooked a state legal requirement of filing felony charges against attackers of healthcare workers in the recent Mount Sinai assaults.
Protecting medical personnel who care for those affected by a situation is of utmost importance, according to Lanza. The result of failing to adhere to the law could put them in a perilous situation.
Desiderio from the State Nurses Association asserted that, “nurses are at risk for violence. In addition, they should be coming to work and not have to worry about their security.”
She added, “They need to be protected. So the law was changed and the prosecutor was elected to enforce the law and protect the victims.”
Read our article: Are Nurses Trained For The Reality Of Workplace Violence?
Conclusion
Workplace violence is serious issue nurses face, with negative impacts on safety, mental health, and patient care. This can lead to decreased quality of care, which can in turn lead to negative outcomes for patients. Therefore, it is crucial to take measures in order to address this problem.
It is essential that legislators take immediate action and guarantee by adhering to the law and ensuring that consequences are upheld to the highest degree.
Establishing a clear protocol for handling violent episodes in healthcare settings is essential. Moreover, it is important to ensure the individuals responsible for any misconduct are held accountable for their actions.
Read the article regarding 10 Nurse Burnout Resources.