VOA慢速英语2023--Health Care Is One of America’s Most Violent Fields

Health Care Is One of America’s Most Violent Fields

A wave of violence is increasingly affecting American hospitals and medical centers.

Recent attacks at such places make health care one of the nation's most violent industries. Data shows American health care workers experience more non-deadly injuries from workplace violence than workers in any other profession -- including law enforcement.

Michael D'Angelo is a former police officer. He now works as a security adviser¹ in Florida. His work centers on health care and workplace violence. He said, "health care workers don't even think about" risks to their safety when they decide to become a nurse or doctor.

But, he added, "health care is four or five times more dangerous than any other profession."

Several mass shootings have taken place in hospitals across the country.

In June of last year, a gunman killed his doctor and three other people at a medical office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The gunman said he blamed the doctor for his continuing pain after an operation.

In October of last year, a man killed two workers at a hospital in Dallas, Texas, while he was there for his child's birth.

This past May, a man opened fire in a medical center waiting room in Atlanta, Georgia. One woman died and four other people were wounded.

And late last month, a gunman shot and killed a security guard at Legacy² Good Samaritan Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. Police later shot and killed the suspect, who was at the hospital for his child's birth.

Hospitals and medical centers are trying to create a safer environment for workers.

Legacy Health said it plans to add more metal detectors³ at all of its medical centers. It also plans to require bag searches at every hospital and send patients and visitors to controlled entrances. Legacy Health also said it will provide more officers with stun⁴ guns and will add protective measures from bullets to some glass at main entrances.

The American Nurses Association says around 40 states have passed laws creating or increasing punishment for violence against health care workers. And some states, including Indiana, Ohio, and Georgia, let hospitals create their own police forces.

Critics say private hospital police can worsen the health care and policing inequalities already experienced by Black people. They also say private police forces often do not have to release information such as how often they use force or if they detain⁵ members of a minority group more often.

Deborah Burger is a registered nurse and president of National Nurses United. She said security teams cannot change the reasons leading to violence. Many of the reasons exist because of the country's problematic health care system, she said.

Patients and families are often frustrated⁶ by high medical bills, limited treatment choices and long wait times.

"Hospitals don't really have a complaints department, so the only real target they have is the nurse or staff that are standing⁷ right in front of them," she said.

Worker shortages⁸ mean nurses are forced to care for more patients. That means less time to examine each one for behavior problems. Burger said efforts to calm an aggressive patient are not as effective if nurses have not been able to spend enough time to build a relationship with patients.

Some hospitals tell their staff to try to make peace with aggressive visitors and patients. Hospital leaders want to avoid getting bad reviews from patients, Burger said. That is because the Affordable⁹ Care Act has tied part of federal repayment¹⁰ rates to patient satisfaction survey results. Low satisfaction means less money for the hospitals.

D'Angelo, the former police officer, said, "The results of those surveys should never take priority¹¹ over staff safety."

Words in This Story

stun gun – n. a gun that produces an electric shock which makes someone unconscious or stops someone from moving

frustrated – adj. very angry, discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something

complaint – n. a statement that you are unhappy or not satisfied with something

staff – n. a group of people who work for an organization or business

review – n. a report that gives someone's opinion about the quality of a book, performance, or product

satisfaction – n. a result that deals with a problem or complaint in an acceptable¹² way

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something

priority – n. the condition of being more important than something or someone else and therefore coming or being dealt with first

1 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 detectors   

探测器( detector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The report advocated that all buildings be fitted with smoke detectors. 报告主张所有的建筑物都应安装烟火探测器。
• This is heady wine for experimenters using these neutrino detectors. 对于使用中微子探测器的实验工作者，这是令人兴奋的美酒。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技

4 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

5 detain   

vt.拘留，扣留，留住，耽搁

参考例句：

• The act allows police to detain a suspect for up to 48 hours.该法令允许警方将嫌疑犯扣押最多48小时。
• Allow me to detain you for a moment.请允许我耽误你一会。

6 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

10 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

11 priority   

n.优先处理的事，居先，优先（权）

参考例句：

• The development of the national economy is a top priority.发展国民经济是应予以最优先考虑的事。
• Things should be taken up in order of priority.办事应有个先后次序。

12 acceptable   

adj.可接受的，合意的，受欢迎的

参考例句：

• The terms of the contract are acceptable to us.我们认为这个合同的条件可以接受。
• Air pollution in the city had reached four times the acceptable levels.这座城市的空气污染程度曾高达可接受标准的四倍。