Healthcare workers in US experience more violence amid pandemic: report

NEW YORK -- Healthcare workers in the United States are six times more likely to experience violence in the workplace than average workers, and the pandemic has worsened the situation, the Quartz news website reported on Wednesday.

Around 48 percent of hospital nurses reported a small or significant increase in workplace violence, up from 21 percent in March 2021, said the report, citing a recent survey by National Nurses United, the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States.

Working amid the rising violence at hospitals is taking its toll on the mental health of nurses, the report said.

"The Omicron wave left many nurses even more burdened, as colleagues fell sick exacerbating staffing shortages," it added.

According to the survey by National Nurses United, there are sharp spikes in difficulty sleeping, anxiety and depression among nurses in the pandemic.