The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council will observe one minute of silence on Wednesday in honor of the two hospital employees killed at Methodist Dallas Medical Center on Saturday.
Social worker Jacqueline “Jackie” Pokuaa, 45, and nurse Katie “Annette” Flowers, 63, were fatally shot, police said, when a man visiting a patient on the mother-and-baby floor started shooting people who entered the room.
Dallas Police said Monday Pokuaa was fatally shot as she was providing care to the woman in the room and Flowers was fatally shot when she looked into the room after hearing gunfire.
The DFWHC is asking its member hospitals and community members to join in the moment of silence on Oct. 26, from noon until 12:01 p.m.
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"The gesture will be an opportunity for North Texans to reflect on the loss of these caregivers and healthcare heroes along with the growing rate of workplace violence in hospitals that has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic," the hospital council said.
The man accused of fatally shooting the two hospital employees is facing a charge of capital murder of multiple persons.
INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE ON THE RISE
The Texas Nurses Association said incidents of workplace violence among healthcare workers have been rising since before the pandemic and, citing numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of 12.7 violent events per 10,000 full-time workers is about three times greater for RNs than all other professions.
"This is unacceptable," said Dr. Serena Bumpus, RN, CEO of the Texas Nurses Association. "No person should fear for their life for merely going to work, especially a nurse or healthcare worker whose passion is to help others heal."
"Our hearts are broken. These are our colleagues and friends. The entire TNA family grieves this loss and we extend our condolences to the families and coworkers of the victims," Bumpus said. "As the Dallas Police Department and Methodist Hospital investigate this incident we stand in unity with the victims and all those affected by this tragedy and ask that the community come together in support of our nurses at this time."
A recent Press Ganey report showed that, on average, two nurses were assaulted every hour in the second quarter of 2022. That translates to about 57 assaults per day nationwide.
The TNA said they have worked with other nursing and healthcare organizations to make curtailing workplace violence a priority in previous legislative sessions but have, so far, found little success. It has already been established as a top priority for the approaching 88th legislative session, the TNA said.
"We hope our legislators understand that we need to protect our healthcare workers," Bumpus said.
