The Number of Reports of Incidents with Aggression in Dutch Hospitals is Still Increasing After Five Years. Two Healthcare Workers Tell Nu.nl How Such Aggression Changed Their Work and Life: From A Lap in the Face To An Attack With A Knife.
Mireille Dedding (51) Works Both at the Red Cross Hospital in Beverwijk and as a nurse in the ambulance.
“Some people are still waiting for a diagnosis, Others for their surgery. Then you hears like ‘I want to be helped now’ or ‘arrange for me to have surgery’. We also experience a lot at the outpatient clinic, we are geto -long long long long long long long long long lung lung lung lung lung lung lung lung lung lung lung, Now! “”
This aggression is not new to dedding. She Experienced the most intense incident 24 years ago. “There was a woman with heart problems who wanted to go home, just though she wouldnn’t survive it. When I wanted to stop her at the elevator, I go weak in the face. I did know how to react to that and let her go. I was left a black.
As a young nurse, this had a lot of impact, but nowadays she is less upset by such incidents. “I don’t think it’s normal for this to happen, but I now know how to act. In our Hospital, you can report aggression. At the first warning, people get a yellow card. At the second warning, they get a red card and, separate allowed treatment, are no lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon loner loner lon lon loner lon lon lon loner loner lon lon loner lon lon loner lon lon lon loner loner lon lon loner lon lon loner lon loner lon lon loner lon loner lon lon loner lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon lon -lon lon lon lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lon -lons” “
Impatience can already come across as aggressive
Dedding Distinguishes ‘Ordinary’ Aggression from ‘Instrumental’ Aggression. “With instrumental aggression, people plan their Behavior in advance. For example, they decide that they want to stay with their mother all day duration her surgery, just though that is not allowed. With ordinary aggression, dual fusey, dully. We also see intrusive staring or impatiently tapping a pen as aggression. “
Dedding sees that aggression Towards Healthcare Personnel HAS Increased. Accordance to her, this has to do with changes in human contact Since Corona. “First you shook hands with each other. Now you work more of from from home and don’t speak to each other in person, but online.”
Dedding Pleads for More Clarity About Behavioral Rules. “The Rules Are Hanging in The Elevator and the Counter Clearly Explains How An Outpatient Clinic Visit Works. But The Explanation is in Dutch, While Patients of Don’t Speak Dutch.” She also emphasizes that aggression ofes Doesn’tn’t Come from the Patient Themselves, But from Relatives. “The only thing that is important to them is their family member. They don’t take Others Into account.”
‘He tried to stab him again’
What started as a quiet Sunday ended in a nightmare for emma (57, real name Known to the Editors). In 2022, She Worked As A Polyclinic Employee in Limburg and Helped a SeriOutly Injured Man After A Stabbing. “I immediately called a doctor and he was tasks to the trauma room. A little later, two family members came, the maximum number allowed inside.”
While the Second Family Member was Being Note In, Someone Else Saw An Opportunity to Slip Inside. “I thought it was family, but it turned out to be the perpetrator who had leg waiting in the waiting room.”
When Emma Wanted to Stop Him, He pulled out a Large Chef’s Knife. “He tried to stab the victim again. I pulled him away from the patient, but he also lashed out at two whores who are standing by the bed. When I pushed him away again, I stumbled. I was the knife coming at me and hit in my hand.”
The Situation was Brought Under Control by A Family Member and A Colleague From The Emergency Room, Who Overpowered The Perpetrator.
The Days That Followed Were Intense. “The next day I Went to the Police Station. On Tuesday I was Already Working Again. On Thursday, My Doctor advised me to take Sleeping Pills and Referred Me for EMDR Therapy (Trauma Processing, etc.).”
But the stress ultimately taught its toll. “Four Days After the Incident I was Admitted with a Heart Attack, followed by a Cardiac judgment. They called it broken heart syndrome. Now I wear a pacemaker and i notice that my condition is permanently affected.”
Emma Quit Her Job, But Found New Work. “Since December 2024 I Have Been Working in Another Hospital, in a place that suits me better and where I get a lot of satisfaction.”
‘People Often Only Think of Themselves’
Accordance to Emma, aggression in Hospitals HAS Increased Since the Corona Pandemic. That is also evident from the figures. Her explanation: “People of only think of themelves. You see it everywhere, including in traffic. People would take take a dangerous action than a moment.”
As a Solution, She Advocates for More Explanation to Patients. “For Example, Through Government Campaigns, Such as TV Commercials, But also Help with Digital Registrations, For Example in Libraries. Make it More Personal. And give more Explanation about the dutch Healthcare System: Many Peings SeateSeSt Borgette Borgette Borgette Borget create create -sickded born it is Borget expertly born More Often. “