how to report sexual harrassment from a patient healthcare

Patients: How to Report Sexual Harassment If you have experienced sexual harassment please report it. To speak with a Title IX officer, please call 831-459-2462.

Full Answer

Is sexual harassment underreported in health care?

“Experts believe that sexual harassment is significantly underreported in health care. For that reason, I believe the best defense for nurses starts with reporting these types of incidents,” says Jennifer Flynn, CPHRM, risk manager at Nurses Service Organization.

Can a nurse be accused of sexual harassment for helping patients?

Probably not. But if a nurse is helping a patient into bed, that patient may need assistance stabilizing himself/herself and may rest his or her hand on the nurse in a way that would otherwise not be necessary.” She adds, “Sexual harassment is basically a step down from sexual assault.

What to do if you are sexually harassed at a hospital?

Your personal safety and well-being are the most important. Federal laws on sexual harassment apply regardless of whether the harassment is taking place at a hospital or a doctor’s office.” Levin agrees that health care organizations should have policies in place.

Is there such a thing as patient harassment in a medical practice?

These results should serve as a warning for medical practices to take seriously the possibility of patient harassment of physicians and staff. While these cases are tragic and difficult to hear about, they provide important lessons on ways you can protect against complaints of sexual harassment in a healthcare practice.

What to do if a patient is sexually harassing you?

If a patient's behavior…is making you uncomfortable or causing you to feel unsafe, leave the situation immediately. Your personal safety and well-being are the most important. Federal laws on sexual harassment apply regardless of whether the harassment is taking place at a hospital or a doctor's office.”

What are the 4 steps a person should take when reporting a case of harassment?

The primary legal steps to contend with harassment in the workplace include telling the harasser to stop, complaining to a supervisor or the Human Resources Department, consulting an attorney, filing a complaint with the EEOC and/or the DFEH, and ultimately filing a lawsuit for sexual harassment.

How do you document inappropriate patient behavior?

In the patient's medical record, document exactly what you saw and heard. Start with the date and time the incident occurred, the location, and who was present. Describe the patient's violent behavior and record exactly what you and the patient said in quotes.

What is patient harassment?

Harassment from patients is an unfortunate and common occurrence in nursing. From verbal and physical altercations to inappropriate sexual advances, the potential for harassment is very real for nurses, who must learn how to protect themselves.

What options are available to report or file a complaint of harassment?

File a harassment complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”). After receiving a “right to sue” notice from DFEH, file a civil lawsuit in California Superior Court seeking monetary damages from the harasser and/or the employer.

What is unprofessional behavior in healthcare?

Behaviors such as rude, loud, or offensive comments; sexual harassment or other inappropriate physical contact; and intimidation of staff, patients, and family members are commonly recognized as detrimental to patient care.

What should you not document in a patient's chart?

7 Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Charting Patient InformationFailing to record pertinent health or drug information. ... Failing to document prior treatment events. ... Failing to record that medications have been administered. ... Recording on the wrong patient's chart. ... Failing to document discontinuation of a medication.More items...

How do you respond to a rude patient?

Here are tips that can help you get a positive response at the end of your interaction.Stay calm and maintain good body posture. ... Actively listen to the patient. ... Respond to the anger. ... Remain calm. ... Reframe the situation. ... Acknowledge their grievances. ... Set boundaries. ... Acknowledge their concerns.More items...•

What is Title VII in healthcare?

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Compliance for Healthcare Organizations. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.

Is it OK for a nurse to hug a patient?

A hug may or may not be acceptable. The person who has the right to make that determination is the patient. Nurses are expected to interact with patients in an empathetic way that supports the patient's healing or wellness. Nurses are not required to hug patients when patients ask for a hug.

Do nurses get harassed?

This high prevalence is similar with previous studies resulted in 16 to 76% of nurses sexually harassed [42], and 53.7% of female nurses that perceived being harassed [43], 60% of nurses harassed [44], 63.6% of nurses in another study [45], and 66% of nurses and nurses students face the harassment [46].

What to do if a nurse is violent?

If the action is severe or violent, the nurse should report it immediately, and the leader should address it. If the nurse is uncomfortable caring for the patient, the patient can be reassigned to another nurse. There have been times when I have assigned only male nurses to a patient who was harassing the female nurses.”.

What happens if a patient makes inappropriate comments?

If the nurse dismisses the comment, the patient will likely continue with the inappropriate conversation or actions.”.

What did Celia tell her manager about the patient?

With one word to her managers, she told him, she would never have to be his nurse again. She says that the patient was contrite and apologized. Celia passed it off as a one-time thing and let it go. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the harassment.

What should a nurse tell a patient?

The nurse should tell—not ask—the patient to refrain from the inappropriate comments or actions and to stop immediately. The nurse should then report the behavior to his/her manager so that the leader can be aware. If the behavior stops, it typically will not need to go further,” says Long.

What to do if a patient is making you uncomfortable?

If a patient’s behavior…is making you uncomfortable or causing you to feel unsafe, leave the situation immediately. Your personal safety and well-being are the most important. Federal laws on sexual harassment apply regardless of whether the harassment is taking place at a hospital or a doctor’s office.”.

Who was the nurse for the patient with a trach?

After a couple of weeks, Celia was the patient’s nurse again. While taking care of his trach, she talked with him. When he could speak, they discussed their favorite kinds of music. She recalls, “It was a nice interaction, as I grew up in a musical home, and discussing this was special to me.”.

Can a nurse help a patient into bed?

Probably not. But if a nurse is helping a patient into bed, that patient may need assistance stabilizing himself/herself and may rest his or her hand on the nurse in a way that would otherwise not be necessary.”. She adds, “Sexual harassment is basically a step down from sexual assault.

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The University of California and UCSC Student Health Services are committed to the principle of treating each community member with respect and dignity.

Patients: How to Report Sexual Harassment

If you have experienced sexual harassment please report it. To speak with a Title IX officer, please call 831-459-2462. You may also submit an online public incident report.

To Provide General Feedback About Your Patient Care Experience

UCSC Student Health Services is interested in hearing about your overall care experience. To provide general feedback about your visit or experience with a UCSC health provider, or to communicate any complaint about unprofessional conduct, please email healthcenter@ucsc.edu .

To Obtain Your Medical Records

You may obtain a copy of your medical records in person or by mail. For detailed instructions, visit UCSC Health Information Management.

For Language, Hearing, and Visual Access Assistance

We provide free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, like qualified sign language interpreters and written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats).

Reporting Obligations of UC Personnel

All University employees are responsible for creating and maintaining the safe, supportive and respectful environment that our patients and colleagues expect and deserve.

How does harassment affect health care?

The negative effects of harassment also affect the well-being and productivity of colleagues and entire organizations. In healthcare, this ripple effect is particularly serious, as it may threaten the quality of patient care .

How does sexual harassment affect women?

Sexual harassment and discrimination undermine women’s physical and mental health, resulting in increased risk for anxiety, depression, burnout, PTSD, and a host of other negative personal and financial consequences. The negative effects of harassment also affect the well-being and productivity of colleagues and entire organizations.

What is the NASEM report?

The NASEM report stated, “Too often, judicial interpretation of [anti-discrimination laws] has incentivized institutions to create policies and training on sexual harassment that focus on symbolic compliance with current law and avoiding liability, and not on preventing sexual harassment.”.

Why is harassment important in leadership?

Leadership. Harassment thrives in settings dominated by men. Thus it is essential to increase representation of women in leadership roles and assure accompanying equity in salary and power. Among the initiatives that can help are mentorship and sponsorship programs, which are essential to career progression.

What is the first step in a healthcare organization?

Creating better outcomes at reduced cost. Quantitative and qualitative assessment. The first step is for healthcare organizations to commit to understanding the problem. They must thoroughly and repeatedly measure the nature, prevalence, and severity of harassment and discrimination.

Why are healthcare institutions ill prepared?

In general, healthcare institutions are ill-prepared to comprehend the problem, to understand the contributions of their organizational culture, and to respond to sexual misconduct... Leer en español.

Which field of medicine has the highest incidence of sexual harassment?

And academic medicine, compared to other scientific fields, has the highest incidence of gender and sexual harassment. Thirty to seventy percent of female physicians and as many as half of female medical students report being sexually harassed.

Why does sexual harassment occur in healthcare?

Three general frameworks are considered in the authors’ discussion as to why sexual harassment occurs in healthcare: to protect one’s status, a rich history of hierarchy, and isolated environments. Studies vary as to who is the most likely perpetrator.

When did women start complaining about sexual harassment?

The first known published comments of women dealing with sexual harassment at work came in a 1908 Harper’s Bazaar edition where women wrote in about their experiences of “life in the city” ( Harper’s Bazaar, 1908 ). Many of these published letters discussed their sexual harassment, though the term was non-existent at the time.

How did Florence Nightingale control male physicians and surgeons?

Florence Nightingale tried to control male physicians and surgeons’ sexual harassment of her nurses in the 1800s. Her approach was one of prevention - each nurse had to be of high moral character, thereby implying that nurses were to blame for their own victimization, which was the thinking of the time. Nightingale also required the nurses ...

What are the three types of sexual harassment?

The authors categorize sexual harassment into three broad sets of behaviors: sexual coercion; unwanted sexual attention; and gender harassment , the most frequent form of harassment and the most ignored.

When did the Violence Against Women Act start?

The year 1994 gave us the Violence Against Women Act ( 1994 ), and it wasn’t until 1995 that Congress was subjected to the same laws as the rest of its citizenry through the Congressional Accountability Act ( 1995 ). But perhaps it has taken the #MeToo movement to bring us where we are today. Sexual harassment stories in healthcare have emerged in ...

Is sexual harassment a human rights violation?

Sexual harassment is a human rights violation as well as the antithesis of the Joint Commission’s leadership and patient care standards, as outlined by the authors. Implications for nurses as it relates to the sexual harassment by patients is a common problem discussed.

Is sexual harassment a systemic problem?

Sexual harassment is a systemic and pervasive problem within healthcare, not a series of random acts . As a result, to change the abusive gendered healthcare culture, it requires a systemic, holistic approach to change management.

Prevention Is The Best Medicine

• Physicians hear about cases involving corporate healthcare entities and may erroneously believe that sexual harassment in a healthcare practice happens only in that setting, but don’t believe sexual harassment is an issue for their smaller practices. The truth is that sexual harassment ca…

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