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Code White: Sounding the Alarm on Violence against Health Care Workers
When health care workers call a Code White, it’s an emergency response for a violent a call for help. But it’s one that goes unanswered in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care homes across the country. Code White exposes a shocking epidemic of violence that’s hidden in plain sight, one in which workers are bruised, battered, assaulted, and demeaned, but carry on in silence, with little recourse or support.
Researchers Margaret M. Keith and James T. Brophy lay bare the stories of over one hundred nurses and personal support workers, aides and porters, clerical workers and cleaners. The nightmarish experiences they relate are not one-off incidents, but symptoms of deep systemic flaws that have transformed health care into one of the most dangerous occupational sectors in Canada.
The same questions echo in the wake of each and every brutal Is violence and trauma really just “part of the job”? Why is this going underreported and unchecked? What needs to be done, and how?
Researchers Margaret M. Keith and James T. Brophy lay bare the stories of over one hundred nurses and personal support workers, aides and porters, clerical workers and cleaners. The nightmarish experiences they relate are not one-off incidents, but symptoms of deep systemic flaws that have transformed health care into one of the most dangerous occupational sectors in Canada.
The same questions echo in the wake of each and every brutal Is violence and trauma really just “part of the job”? Why is this going underreported and unchecked? What needs to be done, and how?
- GenresNonfiction
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2021
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31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 5, 2022
I feel like this is a safe place for me to share my own experiences with violence and abuse directed towards healthcare workers, whether it be from patients and families or even our own supervisors. I'm a clerk who works in the ER of a primarily francophone hospital in Ontario.
A man showed up at our hospital carrying a gun during one of my shifts. He went to the doors of the ER and when he was denied access, he rounded the hospital and went to the staff entrance to try to get in that way. Luckily he wasn't able to get in and the police were able to arrest him without anyone being hurt... physically.
Clerical supervisors abuse their power. Clerks tend to be young, female students just looking to get some experience in the healthcare field. My coworkers and I have often been forced to work 16-hour shifts (our shifts are supposed to be 8 hours) with no warning under the threat of termination because someone called in sick and the managers can't be bothered to have clerks on call for these situations. Sometimes they know days, even weeks, in advance that they'll be short on staff, but instead of using that time to find a clerk willing to cover the shift, they leave the shift open and someone is left with an unexpected double. They have blatantly told us that our plans booked outside of our scheduled shift don't matter and that we will be fired if we leave. A co-worker of mine had to drive her mother to chemotherapy, and even then they threatened to fire her if she didn't stay for the double.
I had my ACL reconstructed and was coerced into coming back to work 5 days post-op. You may be thinking that clerks just sit at a desk, so no big deal, but I'm an ER clerk and that involves a lot of walking back and forth. So there I was, on crutches with one leg swollen to twice the size of the other, limping files back and forth in the ER. When I had the audacity to request accommodations that would remove excessive strain from my fresh injury, I was told to have my surgeon write me a note saying that I was incapable of certain physical tasks (like walking around for 8 hours 5 days after orthopedic surgery on my knee) even though my supervisor was standing right in front of me, clearly able to see how gimpy I was. When I submitted the letter, I was told that the dates were wrong and that I couldn't request accommodations for shifts I'd already worked... so they were refusing to give me accommodations for my upcoming shifts for the next two months. My recovery ended up being delayed due to strain and exhaustion.
I have chronic migraines, something that I officially declared to the hospital workplace health and safety team. A major trigger for my migraines is lack of sleep and stress. Being forced to work unexpected 16 hour shifts on 6 hours or less of sleep (I was a full-time student at the time) often resulted in a migraine halfway through my second shift. Luckily working in the ER has some benefits... the nurses I work with are more than happy to sneak me some medicine to help with the excruciating pain and other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (I've vomited in the staff bathroom many times at this point because of my migraines). So, what's the problem here? I get help immediately for my illness, right? Right... but hospital policy states that I'm not allowed to seek or receive that help. The nurses who help me out are putting their job at risk just to ensure that their coworker can make it through their shift without throwing up in the bathroom every ten minutes.
I had a coworker who was outwardly hostile towards me (and all the other young, new hires) for no reason. Only a few weeks into the job while I was still being trained she would interrupt me while I was speaking to a patient to correct a small error I made (there was no reason she couldn't have waited until I was done with the patient) in an obvious attempt to humiliate me. She would also grab my arm often to get my attention, touching me (aggressively) without my consent. She said to my face that she doesn't like university students knowing full-well that I was still a student (I'm going to assume it was because she's a jealous, middle-aged woman who peak 30 years ago). When she lost interest in outwards aggression towards me, she just refused to acknowledge me at all. She would say good morning to all the nurses and other clerks, she would ignore my questions. I soon found out that she treated all of the other women who were hired at the same time as me that way. We all expressed dread every time we saw that we had to be on the same shift as her. I genuinely considered calling in sick sometimes just to avoid her... but never did because I knew I'd just be giving her what she wanted. She finally retired a couple weeks ago.
During training and orientation, we were shown videos on how to deal with violence and abuse in the workplace. One video really stuck with me. It depicted a nurse being sexually assaulted by an older male patient. In the video, they encouraged us to tell the patient that it made us uncomfortable, but not in a way that antagonized the patient. It was never said that we should report the behaviour and discouraged pressing charges for sexual assault. That struck me as odd the second I heard that. I've always been headstrong and I know my rights, but this only strengthened my resolve to press charges if someone were to sexually assault me, sick or not.
Update: 05/05/2022
A man was walking around my hospital with a hunting knife and we had to go into lockdown for two hours while the police tried to find him. They say he left the hospital and he's now wanted by the municipal police. Charges will be pressed. No one was hurt.
A man showed up at our hospital carrying a gun during one of my shifts. He went to the doors of the ER and when he was denied access, he rounded the hospital and went to the staff entrance to try to get in that way. Luckily he wasn't able to get in and the police were able to arrest him without anyone being hurt... physically.
Clerical supervisors abuse their power. Clerks tend to be young, female students just looking to get some experience in the healthcare field. My coworkers and I have often been forced to work 16-hour shifts (our shifts are supposed to be 8 hours) with no warning under the threat of termination because someone called in sick and the managers can't be bothered to have clerks on call for these situations. Sometimes they know days, even weeks, in advance that they'll be short on staff, but instead of using that time to find a clerk willing to cover the shift, they leave the shift open and someone is left with an unexpected double. They have blatantly told us that our plans booked outside of our scheduled shift don't matter and that we will be fired if we leave. A co-worker of mine had to drive her mother to chemotherapy, and even then they threatened to fire her if she didn't stay for the double.
I had my ACL reconstructed and was coerced into coming back to work 5 days post-op. You may be thinking that clerks just sit at a desk, so no big deal, but I'm an ER clerk and that involves a lot of walking back and forth. So there I was, on crutches with one leg swollen to twice the size of the other, limping files back and forth in the ER. When I had the audacity to request accommodations that would remove excessive strain from my fresh injury, I was told to have my surgeon write me a note saying that I was incapable of certain physical tasks (like walking around for 8 hours 5 days after orthopedic surgery on my knee) even though my supervisor was standing right in front of me, clearly able to see how gimpy I was. When I submitted the letter, I was told that the dates were wrong and that I couldn't request accommodations for shifts I'd already worked... so they were refusing to give me accommodations for my upcoming shifts for the next two months. My recovery ended up being delayed due to strain and exhaustion.
I have chronic migraines, something that I officially declared to the hospital workplace health and safety team. A major trigger for my migraines is lack of sleep and stress. Being forced to work unexpected 16 hour shifts on 6 hours or less of sleep (I was a full-time student at the time) often resulted in a migraine halfway through my second shift. Luckily working in the ER has some benefits... the nurses I work with are more than happy to sneak me some medicine to help with the excruciating pain and other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting (I've vomited in the staff bathroom many times at this point because of my migraines). So, what's the problem here? I get help immediately for my illness, right? Right... but hospital policy states that I'm not allowed to seek or receive that help. The nurses who help me out are putting their job at risk just to ensure that their coworker can make it through their shift without throwing up in the bathroom every ten minutes.
I had a coworker who was outwardly hostile towards me (and all the other young, new hires) for no reason. Only a few weeks into the job while I was still being trained she would interrupt me while I was speaking to a patient to correct a small error I made (there was no reason she couldn't have waited until I was done with the patient) in an obvious attempt to humiliate me. She would also grab my arm often to get my attention, touching me (aggressively) without my consent. She said to my face that she doesn't like university students knowing full-well that I was still a student (I'm going to assume it was because she's a jealous, middle-aged woman who peak 30 years ago). When she lost interest in outwards aggression towards me, she just refused to acknowledge me at all. She would say good morning to all the nurses and other clerks, she would ignore my questions. I soon found out that she treated all of the other women who were hired at the same time as me that way. We all expressed dread every time we saw that we had to be on the same shift as her. I genuinely considered calling in sick sometimes just to avoid her... but never did because I knew I'd just be giving her what she wanted. She finally retired a couple weeks ago.
During training and orientation, we were shown videos on how to deal with violence and abuse in the workplace. One video really stuck with me. It depicted a nurse being sexually assaulted by an older male patient. In the video, they encouraged us to tell the patient that it made us uncomfortable, but not in a way that antagonized the patient. It was never said that we should report the behaviour and discouraged pressing charges for sexual assault. That struck me as odd the second I heard that. I've always been headstrong and I know my rights, but this only strengthened my resolve to press charges if someone were to sexually assault me, sick or not.
Update: 05/05/2022
A man was walking around my hospital with a hunting knife and we had to go into lockdown for two hours while the police tried to find him. They say he left the hospital and he's now wanted by the municipal police. Charges will be pressed. No one was hurt.
April 18, 2022
Quick Take: Violence against nurses and other healthcare staff is rampant and little talked about.
This serious issue needs to come to light. I don’t work in healthcare, so once I started reading this book I texted a nurse friend of mine and asked her if violence in healthcare was as bad as it sounded in this book. She gave me a resounding YES and said its a huge problem in the PEDIATRIC hospital where she works.
White Code by Margaret M. Keith and James T. Brophy is about the violence committed against nurses and other healthcare workers (mostly women) everyday. The stories in this book are horrifying and should not be allowed to continue. While the research was done in Ontario, I believe many of the takeaways can be applied to the US healthcare system as well.
It includes stories of nurses punched, sexually ausulted and pushed to the floor. In addition, they are not supported by their hospital often being punished if they speak out about the violence experienced. Many of the nurses are traumatized but expected to go right back to work.
This much stress in your daily life takes its toll. In addition to increased anxiety and insomnia healthcare staff are burned out. No wonder we have a nurse shortage!
Who is committing this violence? Patients and family members.
Why is this happening?
- Many people with mental illness end up in ER’s due to lack of social services and available psych unit beds.
- Similar to above, people with drug addictions end up in ER’s due to lack of social services and rehab facilities
- Patient wait times are long which can cause a frustrated patient or family member to escalate behavior
This was written with pre-COVID data. I can only imagine what nurses are dealing with now. I hope that more recognition will come to this issue through this book. I would recommend this book with an interest in the healthcare system and how nurses are treated.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Non-Fiction/Healthcare Industry
This serious issue needs to come to light. I don’t work in healthcare, so once I started reading this book I texted a nurse friend of mine and asked her if violence in healthcare was as bad as it sounded in this book. She gave me a resounding YES and said its a huge problem in the PEDIATRIC hospital where she works.
White Code by Margaret M. Keith and James T. Brophy is about the violence committed against nurses and other healthcare workers (mostly women) everyday. The stories in this book are horrifying and should not be allowed to continue. While the research was done in Ontario, I believe many of the takeaways can be applied to the US healthcare system as well.
It includes stories of nurses punched, sexually ausulted and pushed to the floor. In addition, they are not supported by their hospital often being punished if they speak out about the violence experienced. Many of the nurses are traumatized but expected to go right back to work.
This much stress in your daily life takes its toll. In addition to increased anxiety and insomnia healthcare staff are burned out. No wonder we have a nurse shortage!
Who is committing this violence? Patients and family members.
Why is this happening?
- Many people with mental illness end up in ER’s due to lack of social services and available psych unit beds.
- Similar to above, people with drug addictions end up in ER’s due to lack of social services and rehab facilities
- Patient wait times are long which can cause a frustrated patient or family member to escalate behavior
This was written with pre-COVID data. I can only imagine what nurses are dealing with now. I hope that more recognition will come to this issue through this book. I would recommend this book with an interest in the healthcare system and how nurses are treated.
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Non-Fiction/Healthcare Industry
April 22, 2022
Code White is an in-depth look at violence in Quebec hospitals. It dies in two the cases AN with the author and others believed to be the causes. From long wait times to a broken mental health support system. They present studies, statistics and personal observations. I found this book to be so interesting and it also covered a lot of the broken down public healthcare Quebec has. From those who need immediate surgeries and don’t get them until after the referred wait time to the pour elderly care hospitals available. This book is so good and whether you’re a Canadian
October 21, 2022
Another special interests group pushing for special laws. The small fries will agitate, and the big wigs will reap the results.
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