Lee Powers (Video): A Nurse's Fight for Safety and Change in Healthcare. Workplace Violence in Healthcare

 

Episode Summary: In this powerful episode, Dr Naomi Murphy and David Jones sit down with Lee Powers, a nurse, intensive care unit (ICU) and workplace violence survivor, and international speaker. Lee shares her harrowing experience of being assaulted by a patient while working in a psychiatric ICU, the devastating impact it had on her life, and her journey to recovery. She discusses the systemic issues in healthcare, the lack of support for assaulted healthcare workers, and the importance of personalized medicine. Lee's story is one of resilience, strength, and advocacy for change in the healthcare system.

Lee with her service dog Nelson Mandela; https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BVsKszhjE/

Key Topics Discussed:

• Lee's background and her role as a nurse in a psychiatric ICU.
• The assault incident and its immediate aftermath.
• The long-term physical, emotional, and financial impacts of the assault.
• The systemic issues in healthcare that contribute to workplace violence.
• The importance of laws to protect healthcare workers.
• Lee's recovery journey and the challenges she faced.
• The role of her service dog, Nelson Mandela, in her recovery.
• Lee's advocacy for better support and safety measures for healthcare workers.
• The impact of the incident on Lee's personal relationships and community.
• Lee's insights on how healthcare professionals can improve patient care and safety.

Quotes:

• "If the nurse isn't safe, no one is safe." - Lee Powers
• "I really wanted to talk to healthcare professionals, families, not in a punitive way, but to say, hey, when you're on the other side of the bed, here's what a patient may experience." - Lee Powers
• "I learned that I'm much stronger than I thought." - Lee Powers