On June 3, 2022, two nurses and a doctor were stabbed by a patient inside the emergency room at Prime Healthcare's Encino Hospital Medical Center. The incident—which took place just days after a fatal shooting at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma—was a frightening reminder that hospital staff work amid a constant threat of workplace violence.
On the anniversary of the attack, Encino Nurses—joined by CA Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel—held a press conference outside of the hospital. Nurses who work in the ER say that they continue to face threats to their physical safety that Prime has not done enough to make them feel safe. Nurses called for heightened security and training, and demanded that the hospital involve them in designing workplace violence response and prevention policies.
“Even before the attack on our Emergency Department, Nurses at Encino Hospital were calling for more security,” said Gloria Mateos, an Emergency Department nurse. "The fact is that the hospital never listened. Even now, they brush us to the side when we offer solutions.”
See coverage below, and watch the entire press conference here.
LA Daily News: Encino Hospital Medical Center nurses allege lax safety, security.
KNX Radio:
Becker's Hospital Review: Nurses allege California hospital lacks measures to prevent violence 1 year after stabbing.
KTLA: Encino nurses call for safety precautions after 3 stabbed last year.
CBS-LA/KCAL: Nurses protest after raising safety concerns at Encino Hospital Medical Center.
ABC-7: 1 year after Encino hospital stabbing, nurses still feel unsafe.
NBC-4: Nurses demand better security after hospital stabbing.
