Last year AZ Zeno had 76 cases of physical aggression in Knokke-Heist. “It is not too bad with us, but the number of cases of aggression is increasing. We notice – especially with verbal aggression – that this often has to do with the stressful situation in which patients are located,” says medical director Emanuel van Hoecke.
But nurses and doctors work in the same stressful situations, which sometimes clashes. “That is why we think that a smile and some kindness can help a lot.”
From a survey among employees of the 26 participating hospitals, 85 percent have already had to deal with aggressive behavior in the workplace. Hospital employees argue for zero tolerance.