U.S nurses face surge in workplace violence amid pandemic
April 21, 2022, 9:25 am

U.S nurses face surge in workplace violence amid pandemic

The number of nurses in the United States facing a spike in workplace violence has doubled over the past year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (Photo: Pixabay)

The Xinhua reported, British paper Daily Mail has reported, citing a new survey that the number of nurses in the United States facing a spike in workplace violence has doubled over the past year amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In its bi-annual survey, National Nurses United, one of the largest nursing unions in the United States, found that 48 percent of the country's nurses reported a small or significant increase in workplace violence, up from 21.9 percent in March 2021.

The report that cases included patients spitting on nurses after being told they had tested positive for COVID-19, and scratching, hitting or even threatening healthcare workers with guns.

American hospitals have been facing surging rates of patients attacking staff in recent months, fueled by COVID-19 misinformation and staffing shortages.

Asian Americans take safety into their own hands as violence against them escalates

The British paper said, unions are calling for stronger protections for healthcare staff, warning the surge of attacks is leaving many "distracted" and unable to do their jobs.

Source: xinhua

Joe Biden to speak on war in Ukraine amid expectation of new military aid Boris Johnson begins a two-day visit to India and will meet PM Modi on Apr 22

Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.