By: Sheldon Ingram
PITTSBURGH —Emergency room nurse Travis Dunn is recovering at UPMC Presbyterian after he was violently attacked by a patient at UPMC Altoona on Saturday.
That incident is the latest attack against a health care worker, a highly publicized trend causing members of that profession to react with outrage.
Bradley Scott Lloyd, 39, faces several charges, including aggravated assault, according to UPMC Police in Altoona.
“Workplace violence is an issue, and sadly, this is one of the worst ones we heard in a while, if that’s possible to say, but it is true,” said Cara Buckley, an ER nurse and member of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals union. “Everyone is sad. We’re sad for that community, those health care workers, and we’re also sad for that community, everyone in general.”
In May, state legislators in the House of Representatives passed the Pennsylvania Healthcare Violence Prevention Act, which is now held up in the state Senate.
“We want legislators to recognize this as a problem, see this as an issue,” Buckley said. “This is not just an issue for health care workers; this affects everyone, and most of all, it affects our patients.”
Meanwhile, hospital workers at UPMC Altoona are not waiting for that legislation to pass, as they issued a statement, while represented by AFSCME Local 691 and SEIU Healthcare PA, calling on UPMC to improve safety and increase staffing at the hospital.
They also included a list of specific demands to ensure safety:
- A full and transparent investigation into the incident, including how and why current safety protocols failed, and what measures could have prevented it
- A clear, enforced zero-tolerance policy for violence or threats against health care workers — by patients, visitors, or staff
- Posted signs in every area of the hospital that assaulting a health care worker is a felony
- Panic alarms are installed in every patient care area
- Metal detectors are installed at all patient and visitor entry points
- Enhanced security presence and faster response times, particularly in high-risk areas such as the ER, and during off-peak hours
- Mandatory de-escalation and workplace safety training for all staff, with regular refreshers
- Comprehensive support for affected employees, including paid leave, trauma counseling, and legal or workers’ compensation assistance as needed
- Direct involvement of frontline employees and union representatives in developing and implementing safety improvements
