A violent attack at Ridges Hospital in Burnsville, Minnesota has sparked concerns about workplace violence against hospital staff. Video captured a patient on a mental health hold striking hospital support staff and swinging a bed rail at EMT Rob Madsen, who was waiting to transfer a patient. The attack happened in under 10 seconds and injured four people in total, including two nurses.
Madsen underwent brain surgery and ended up with 25 staples in his head. He reported experiencing flashbacks, severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, coordination difficulties, and short-term memory loss in the weeks following the attack. The attack occurred in a locked eight-bed behavioral health unit designed to reduce risk. Year-over-year data from the Department of Labor and Industry shows nurses had the most workers’ compensation claims paid for injuries from violence. The Minnesota Department of Health reported that the number of physical assaults against patients or staff resulting in serious injury climbed from one to 16 over a decade.
According to Benjamin Baker, a nurse advocate with the Minnesota Nurses Association, workplace violence in healthcare is common and ranges from verbal abuse and spitting to physical attacks. A recent survey by the Minnesota Nurses Association found that 86% of nurses who left in 2024 reported inadequate staffing as an issue. The hospital updated its policy following the attack, including ensuring all patients remain in their rooms during patient transfers. The patient who attacked Madsen died while in custody of the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office; the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be natural. All hospitals in Minnesota must now submit a violence preparedness plan to comply with legislative requirements.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/emt-attack-hospital-violence-investigation/