A doctor's shocking account of what she deals with at work every day has lifted the lid on sexual harassment in the work place. Photo / Getty
A doctor's shocking account of what she deals with at work every day has lifted the lid on sexual harassment in the work place. Photo / Getty
A doctor's shocking account of what she deals with at work every day has lifted the lid on sexual harassment in the workplace.
A young female doctor from Ontario, Canada has opened up about how most days at work she is sexually harassed not by colleagues, but by the verypatients she's trying to treat and keep healthy.
Taking to social media, the doctor in her 20s wrote that she loved her work but could not get away from sexual harassment or "creepy line-crossing behaviour".
Her revelation proved eye-opening and attracted more than 28,000 reactions to date.
"Even in a professional setting I cannot get away from sexual harassment and or creepy-line crossing behavior," she starts.
"Don't add me on social media, don't message me every other day asking to get to know me, don't comment on my office's social media account about how you find me attractive and call me 'tasty'."
The harassment has grown so common now the doctor admits she refuses to treat patients where she cannot have a direct route to leave the room in case she is presented with a dangerous patient.
"Just f**king stop. I refuse to work in an exam room where a patient is between me and the exam room door now and it just makes me sad I NEED to be this aware, but I've learned it is necessary.
"I just want to go to work and, at worst, deal with regular crazy not sexually driven harassment."
The doctor revealed she is sexually harassed on a regular basis by patients. Photo / Reddit
The doctor's revelations prompted others in the medical profession to come forward with their own stories.
One male ER medical scribe who is more than 183cm tall explained he sees female physicians being harassed by patients on nearly a daily basis.
But what shocked him is his presence doesn't put them off.
"This kind of harassment from patients towards young female physicians that I have scribed for is real. I have seen it firsthand. Multiple times. It didn't even seem that it mattered that I was standing right there in the room."
With many health care professionals facing abuse and harassment by patients every day, medical laboratory technician Jennifer told the BBC there are some tools employees can use to keep themselves safe.
During her 12 years in the role she says communicating directly and alerting colleagues to the situation often helps defuse any potential uncomfortable situation worsening.
While she's been attacked, she's now developed methods to stop any further incidents.
"One man grabbed my breast and squeezed so hard it left a bruise," she told the BBC. "Most of them claimed they didn't know what they were doing while smirking and staring at my chest.
"But the best way to deal with it is to make eye contact, then loudly and firmly tell them to remove their hand from your body part. This does two things.
"First, it tells the patient you will not passively accept their abuse. Second, it will alert your co-workers that you need help.
"Do your best to remain calm and do not physically escalate the situation."
