When I first took the leap into the wild and crazy world of EMS, I never gave it a second thought that as well as being tasked with helping those in need, I would also have to look over my shoulder every given second of every single shift. Never in a million years would I think that my safety would be at risk while on shift. Every day the news is riddled with healthcare violence. More recently, a man went into a doctor’s office and MURDERED four people before taking his own life. With more than twenty years in the medical field, this is something that wasn’t heard of back then, and quite frankly, it scares me. There is just as much violence in the hospital setting that I have witnessed as a RN.
So, I ask, who rescues the rescuer? I have devoted my life to helping people, but with that decision comes a price. At any given moment my life could be in danger. Does that deter me from doing my job? Not in the least. It’s a risk I take to do what I love.
The politicians have been screaming about gun control, and I don’t believe that’s the answer. First and foremost, I think the people in control of the government need to take a closer look at dealing with mental health. This is something I think is overlooked, and if they would be more proactive in dealing with mental health, there would be less violence. I realize this may not be the popular opinion, but the wonderful thing about living in the United States is I have the freedom of speech.
Everyone is quick to blame guns as the problem. I disagree. If that were the case, then why aren’t people blaming alcohol for destroying lives? Why aren’t they blaming cigarettes for causing many people to lose their lives to cancer? Taking those things away would only be a Band-Aid fix. The leaders of our country need to start with the root of the problem, and that’s addressing the lack of mental health help.
Another part of the problem is not protecting the healthcare workers. Yes, it’s a part of the job, and inherent risk, but the law makers don’t sufficiently protect us. I once sent an email to a senator asking why is it okay to assault a healthcare worker, but if you assault a police officer you go to jail? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been assaulted by a patient when I was a paramedic. Every single time I requested charges to be put on the person, I was told by law enforcement it would be useless. That a lawyer could get the charges lessened, or even dropped because the person wasn’t in their right frame of mind. So, I ask, then why do people get charged with assaulting a police officer if they aren’t in their right frame of mind? You see, law enforcement is trained and armed to deal with such situations. Healthcare workers aren’t, and it’s not okay we are subjected to such abuse. The law makers need to do more to protect healthcare workers. There need to be stiffer penalties when someone assaults us. By not doing so, they’re saying it’s okay to assault healthcare workers. Our lives matter just as much as any law enforcement officer.
This blog post may come across as more of a rant, but I’m passionate about it. God and health willing, I will continue to do what I love, but it comes to a point that enough is enough. Protect the healthcare workers just like they protect law enforcement. I have worked alongside many law enforcement officers, and I will always support them, but healthcare workers deserve the same protection under the letter of the law. Protect those of us that have devoted our lives to helping those in need. Our country needs to have its priorities straight, not just what is the “popular” thing to do, and what helps them keep their office. We need people in office that are willing to protect the people they serve, not just their political agenda.
Jerrid Edgington RN
Jerrid Edgington-Author 