MINNEAPOLIS— Attacks on Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital have resulted in more than $83,000 in fines over the past year.
“I’ve been personally attacked, and you never know it’s going to happen,” said Anna Rabb, who is part of the nurses’ union calling for more protections for health care workers at work. “It’s terrifying and you don’t want to go back to work.”
The union says data it received from OSHA shows that there were 198 incidents of workplace violence at Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital in the first five months of 2024. But Allina disagrees, saying in a statement:
“We don’t know how the Minnesota Nurses Association arrived at the number and percentages of incidents. We can confirm that Abbott Northwestern Hospital serves approximately 1,500+ patients per day, as well as family and community members who attend daily, every day of the year, and that there have been 65 incidents of varying severity during January-May 2024 . While any form of violence is too much, Allina Health continually works to make workplaces as safe as possible.”
WCCO contacted OSHA investigators about the number of violent incidents but did not hear back.
The nurses facing these issues say Allina’s response is not enough.
“It’s scary to be faced with a violent situation and not feel supported,” says ICU nurse Jessica Sherlock.
MNA is calling for increased security at the hospital, in addition to a behavioral response team and mandatory training.
“The resources for staffing and support for patients need to be where the patients are,” said ICU nurse Kelley Hnaas. “I think until that happens, this will continue to get worse and more nurses will leave.”
