British doctors suffer most abuse in Europe.

[Blackleaf]

25 January 2006
MOST ABUSE FOR BRIT DOCS
By Emily Nash
BRITISH GPs suffer more verbal abuse from patients than anywhere in Europe, a study revealed yesterday.

A total of 94 per cent in the UK said they had been sworn or shouted at.

The highest proportion of doctors reporting physical attacks was in Britain - 32 per cent - the same as the French. Some British surgeries now employ security guards.

The poll by GP Magazine found that 81 per cent of British family doctors had been verbally abused more than once.

This compared to 70 per cent in Spain, 64 in France, 61 in Germany and 38 per cent in Italy.

Violence in the UK and France has been linked to drugs, with both countries having the highest cannabis use in Europe.

But Laurence Buckman, chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, blamed the violence on drink - and a culture of attacks.


He said: "There's something about assaulting people verbally or physically that is British."

mirror.co.uk

 

[tracy]

I'm actually surprised the numbers aren't higher. I have seen so many rude/violent people since I started in health care, it's ridiculous.

 

[Jay]

Violence in the UK and France has been linked to drugs, with both countries having the highest cannabis use in Europe.

Does anyone else find this a bit odd? I thought cannabis users were pretty passive...

 

[Jay]

Re: RE: British doctors suffer most abuse in Europe.

I'm actually surprised the numbers aren't higher. I have seen so many rude/violent people since I started in health care, it's ridiculous.

Did you find a diffrence between Canada and America on this issue?

 

[tracy]

Re: RE: British doctors suffer most abuse in Europe.

I'm actually surprised the numbers aren't higher. I have seen so many rude/violent people since I started in health care, it's ridiculous.

Did you find a diffrence between Canada and America on this issue?

Yes, yes, YES. I could go on, but suffice it to say: YES! There are several reasons for it I'm sure.

 

[Jay]

Is Canada worse or better in the rude/violence issue?

 

[tracy]

Re: RE: British doctors suffer most abuse in Europe.

Is Canada worse or better in the rude/violence issue?

100 times better in my experience. Other nurses I've worked with have said the same thing. There are very few things I really dislike about working here, but this is definitely one of them. Hospitals tolerate an unbelievable amount of abuse from patients... oops, I mean customers, and their family members. It's one reason I would never agree to train to be charge down here. It's too much of a headache to deal with the crazies.

 

[Jay]

Well everyone knows Canadians are better at the simple things like politeness and counting and getting dressed in the morning....

Except for ITN....he is polite.



Sorry to hear you have to put up with that sort of stress in your job though...

 

[tracy]

Every place has some stresses. I've actually been pretty lucky in being able to control the nuts most of the time.

 

[Jay]

A quick shot of "somthing or other" in the arm and they settle right down!

 

[tracy]

Re: RE: British doctors suffer most abuse in Europe.

A quick shot of "somthing or other" in the arm and they settle right down!

I wish! For me, it's not the patients, it's the parents. Dealing with crazy families and coworkers has taught me some good manipulative speaking skills. I find I'm able to get away with a lot of blunt or smart answers if I say them with a smile because I still look very young and innocent. I had a mother ask me if I was a candy striper the other day... :roll:

I like your suggestion but, I don't think I'm allowed to medicate visitors... I'll have to look into that though.

 

[Jay]

Well if you are allowed, maybe I will pay you a visit someday....

 

[tracy]

:lol: I'll let you know

 

[Curiosity]

Gosh Tracy

I must be horrible for you working in such a bad environment. In most of your posts, there are so many things you find wrong about working in the U.S. I wonder why you put up with it.

I feel in total opposition to almost everything you write and I have been here 19 years. I can't imagine going back now - I like the freedom and responsibility one is given living here.

I guess my perception is entirely different. Strange how two people can experience such diversity and while I don't know your exact locale, I would imagine we are within 100 miles of each other. I am truly sorry you haven't found it pleasant.

I guess the money is making it worth your while. I hope so.

 

[tracy]

WC, you need to read my post again. I specifically said it's one of the very few things I don't like about working here. If I didn't like it here, I wouldn't be here.

 

[Curiosity]

Tracy

I find it in many of your posts....not just the one to which I responded. If you are enjoying living in California - then that's great. It just seems as if things are not quite up to your standard.

 

[tracy]

There are definitely some things I disagree with here, just like there are in Canada. It's wierd though, even when I say again and again that I am a lefty happy living under a Republican president and governor, people only remember the negative. When I complain about Gordon Campbell no one has ever accused me of hating BC or suggested I move... course I moved on my own, so maybe that's why...

Oh well, sorry you have that impression of me. I'll consider it and leave this thread at that.

Edited to add: I've looked through my posts and other than pointing out some problems I see in the health care system down here (and I did that for Canada too), I don't see the America is bad attitude eminating from my posts. Maybe I'm just not sensitive enough on a keyboard.

 

[Curiosity]

Tracy

Oops.....I didn't mean to imply you had a bad attitude, it just seemed to me you weren't happy in your situation. I wouldn't be too pleased about people responding the way you described in the thread here....nobody would. I hope it is an occasional thing, not an everyday occurrence.

It's really none of my business and of couse you should speak out about the differences you find not to your liking. I think that is a feature we have about different cities too....even within the same country.

Didn't mean to sound judgmental at all....just confused that you seemed disillusioned or something and I didn't sense that you hated anything at all... just felt that you weren't happy..... sorry.

*slinks away embarrassed*

 

[tracy]

Don't slink away , no that's not what I meant. Am I sometimes annoyed at work here? Sure. There are annoying things at most jobs, this just happens to be the thing I see as most difficult about my job here. Like I said, I've been pretty lucky with the crazies. Some of my coworkers haven't and it's the lack of a response from management that I find upsetting. I've heard patient's families use racial slurs, profanity and even threaten violence without any consequence other than "Oh, we'll get you another nurse you'll like better". I've actually been the "another nurse" more than once.

So far, I've never had a family lose it with me or request another nurse. If I had, something tells me my resignation letter would have been in my manager's mailbox by morning! I don't have any trouble leaving jobs I don't like Most of my families have been mostly appropriate. There was actually one night where I was surprised at how protective a parent was about me. He was visiting his baby with his wife when another baby's mother started going off on her nurse. She eventually calmed down and left, then the dad said "I was just waiting for her to say something to you, cause I'd take her out". He was a really scary looking man (ex-gang member, been shot more than once, and BIG) but a total sweetie. It became a big joke around the unit: "Don't mess with Tracy, cause she'll get that baby's dad to beat you up!".

I do remember one particularly crazy mother when I worked in Toronto. She followed one nurse off the unit and threatened her. After that she was only allowed in the unit if hospital security could spare someone to supervise her. That's the important difference to me. You'll have occasional rude people everywhere, but how do you deal with them? Our patient population is actually very similar to our population in Toronto. We get both extremes of the socioeconomic scale. 42 year old rich folks having their first baby through invitro fertilization, or 17 year old girls having their 3rd naturally of course. A lot of people are surprised at which group acts out the most.

There are some great things about working in the US that Canada just can't compete with and on another thread I pointed them out (training opportunities, educational opportunities, job opportunities, scheduling, etc). I don't feel guilty about leaving Canada to work here and won't go back in the near future unless some things change.

 

[Curiosity]

Tracy

OK sorry for the misunderstanding. I love Canada.... people who have more than one child love them both.... so do I.... but I really feel at home here and have gone way beyond my expectations for myself....and I can only credit the fact that I was in the right place at the right time I think.

You are fortunate you can pick and choose and still make an excellent living....even with the rough spots.... I hope you have
a great support group to vent with....and are making lots of friendships too....that enriches any place we live in.

AND we have every right to criticize....that's the neat thing about these little meeting places.