Nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital say they feel unsafe at work and have demanded protection.

Police responded to multiple violent incidents in November at the hospital’s Psychiatric and Behavioral Medicine Unit (PBMU), according to the Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA), which represents over 2,000 registered nurses in the state.

On Nov. 7, police were called when patients “turned over carts, used a pole to swing at people, broke windows and held a nurse in a chokehold,” a WSNA press release stated.

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The Seattle Police Department detailed that incident in a blog post on its website the next day, noting that a 14-year-old boy was arrested for assaulting medical staff in the psychiatry and behavioral medicine unit of the hospital.

“The suspect … armed himself with a metal pole, began destroying property and attempted to locate and harm another teen,” the police department’s blog post said. “The suspect then attacked a staff member and put them in a headlock.”

Around that same time period, a nurse was “choked, struck in the head 16 times and nearly lost consciousness” after an attack by a patient, according to the WSNA.

On Nov. 17, police reportedly returned to the hospital after patients began throwing ceiling tiles at staff members.

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Some other complaints filed by nurses within the unit were about patients biting staff members, kicking them in the head and attempting to use medical equipment as weapons, the WSNA stated.

“As staff, we know what we need, and that’s security,” Natasha Vederoff, one of the nurses in the unit, told Fox News Digital in a recent video interview. 

“We’re asking for people to help our staff feel safe so we can do our job and get fair compensation for the work we’re doing,” she said. 

Regular staffing shortages have contributed to problems, say nurses at Seattle Children’s Hospital (not pictured). They say capacity has been strained ever since the onset of COVID-19. (iStock)

After Fox News Digital contacted the hospital for comment, a Seattle Children’s Hospital spokesperson sent a statement. 

“Our country is facing an escalating youth mental and behavioral health crisis and the demand for services remains alarmingly high,” the Dec. 5 statement to Fox News Digital noted in part.

“This is not a temporary issue. We’re asking for permanent change because the problem is not going to go away anytime soon.”

“The safety, security and well-being of Seattle Children’s patients and workforce is our top priority and we have intensified efforts over the past several months to address this demand.”

The statement went on, “While these critical steps support the immediate safety of our workforce and patients, Seattle Children’s cannot solve this crisis alone.”

“Our country is facing an escalating youth mental and behavioral health crisis and the demand for services remains alarmingly high,” Seattle Children’s Hospital said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. The exterior of the building is shown above.  (Seattle Children’s Hospital)

“This work is ongoing, and we are actively collaborating with external partners at the local, state and federal level to identify and eliminate barriers and find rapid solutions to address the extremely high number of patients seeking care for mental and behavioral health crises across the state.”

‘Vicious cycle’

Regular staffing shortages have been a challenge for some time in psychiatric care, noted Amy Lamson, who has worked in the unit for more than six years — but the problem got much worse during the COVID pandemic, she said.

“We have not been able to catch up in any capacity since then,” she told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

One of the factors contributing to the current crisis is the extended time frame of patient stays, the Washington-based nurses said.  (iStock)

“It has been a vicious cycle,” Lamson continued. “The less staff we have, the less expertise we have on the floor, and the less able we are to manage unsafe behaviors — and then staff want to leave because they do not feel safe in the workplace.”

There are conflicting statements about the nature of the current nursing shortage.

In a 2022 letter, the American Hospital Association estimated that half a million nurses would leave the field by the end of that year, which would result in a total country-wide shortage of 1.1 million.

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National Nurses United (NNU), however, has released statements that there is not a shortage of nurses — and that, instead, the problem is “a failure by hospital industry executives to put nurses and the patients they care for above corporate profits.”

While there are plenty of nurses to fill jobs, NNU stated that there is “a shortage of nurses who want to work under current conditions.”

Demand outpaces capacity, nurses say

Contributing to the crisis is the extended stay of many patients today, the nurses said.

The hospital’s Psychiatric and Behavioral Medicine Unit is intended to serve as “short-term crisis stabilization” for three to seven days, but nurses report that some children are staying on the unit for months — or even as long as a year — due to a shortage of residential care beds.

Lamson told Fox News Digital that the increase in injuries began to worsen during COVID, when many outpatient beds and residential facilities closed.

“We’re asking for people to help our staff feel safe, so we can do our job and get fair compensation for the work we’re doing,” one of the nurses (not pictured) told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“With fewer resources in the community for these patients, there are longer inpatient stays,” she said.

Over the last year, there has been an “exponential increase” in safety events and staff injuries, said Lamson.

Henry Jones, another nurse in the unit, noted that a third of the long-term residential beds in the state have closed since the pandemic, and demand has only gone up. 

“It’s simple supply and demand — the demand far outstrips our capacity to provide care.”

“It’s simple supply and demand,” Jones told Fox News Digital. “The demand far outstrips our capacity to provide care.”

Jones said he doesn’t believe the staff would be seeing this level of aggression and violence if the patients’ length of stay matched the design of the unit.

“The more isolated you are, the more likely you are to use aggression,” he told Fox News Digital.

Brayden Schander, another nurse on the unit, told WSNA that the nurses have been forced into this situation. 

“If the state and nation are not going to change, Seattle Children’s needs to build a residential facility to meet long-term care needs.”

Jones told Fox News Digital, “This is not a temporary issue. We’re asking for permanent change because the problem is not going away anytime soon.”

Patients are not to blame, nurses say

The nurses in the PBMU emphasized that the troubled youth in the facility are not to blame for the current crisis.

“Our patients have suffered severe physical, sexual and emotional abuse,” Joshua Pickett, a registered nurse at Seattle Children’s, told Fox News Digital.

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The nursing staff expects to see certain unsafe behaviors, he noted, as it’s an “expression of pain” and a way for the youth to communicate their needs. 

“We don’t want to demonize these behaviors — the reason we are so invested is because we want to help these kids,” he said.

But “our ability to address unsafe behaviors would be greatly increased if we just had adequate resources to do so,” he also said. 

The nurses in the PBMU at Seattle Children’s emphasized that the troubled young people (not pictured) are not to blame for the current crisis. (iStock)

During one of her recent shifts, Vederoff said she had to help hold down a potentially violent child.

“I had to stop myself from crying … knowing that this kid would not be in the situation right now if they had the resources they needed — and knowing that we have failed them.”

Pickett agreed, adding, “All too often, rather than healing the trauma that these kids have faced, we’re just retraumatizing them in order to keep people safe rather than creating an environment that is therapeutic and helpful for them.”

Call for action

Pickett sent a call for action to the hospital’s leadership team on Nov. 17 on behalf of the 44 nurses in the unit.

In the letter, which was shared with Fox News Digital by the WSNA, the nurses described the unit as “severely unsafe” and at a “critical point of failure.”

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“The ongoing deficient and inadequate intervention from the hospital has contributed to innumerable injuries, a diminishing workforce and deteriorating morale,” the letter stated. 

“Staff work in a persistent state of fear as they come into each shift expecting violence and debilitating abuse.”

The letter went on, “The level of violence that the unit is expected to tolerate has directly influenced rates of staff turnover and pushed the unit into a detrimental staffing crisis.”

“Our hospital is a lens into what is happening nationally,” said one of the nurses (not pictured) in the unit at the Seattle-based hospital.  (iStock)

To ensure the safety of staff and patients, the nurses made several specific demands of Seattle Children’s Hospital, which included:

• Three safety officers present during the day and one overnight
• Additional staffing roles, including a break nurse, resource nurse and safety coach
• Maximum ratio of eight patients to every one nurse
• Double pay for all overtime and mandatory shifts

“Let us not wait for the preventable death of a patient or staff to have our voices heard,” the letter from the nurses said.

“Rather than healing the trauma that these kids have faced, we’re just retraumatizing them in order to keep people safe.”

On Dec. 13, the Washington State Nurses Association, plus some of the nurses from the PBMU and Seattle Children’s leadership, met to discuss the status of the actions and interventions that are in progress.

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Pickett shared with Fox News Digital some of the outcomes of that meeting.

“Mandatory overtime and volunteering to stay over are now both double pay,” he said. “Security will be a permanent fixture on the PBMU and a new role will be created and rolled out by the first week of February.”

“This is a national mental health crisis, and our patients have suffered severe physical, sexual and emotional abuse,” said one of the nurses in an interview with Fox News Digital. (Tetra Images via Getty Images)

Hospital leadership also committed to hiring travel BHTs (behavioral health technicians) and RNs to fill current roles in the PBMU, but Pickett said they are “refusing to create the new nursing and PMHS (pediatric primary care mental health specialist) roles we requested, which were essential to our demands.”

“Let us not wait for the preventable death of a patient or staff to have our voices heard.”

Seattle Children’s Hospital also provided an update to Fox News Digital regarding the Dec. 13 meeting.

“Last month, Seattle Children’s opened an Emergency Operations Center in response to extraordinarily high mental health patient volume,” a spokesperson said. 

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“Since then, countless teams and individuals have collaborated to develop new processes and implement operational improvements.”

“As a result, Seattle Children’s is better positioned to meet future surges and care for all patients who need us, but the work is ongoing,” the statement continued.

“I could make the same amount of money [in another job] and not be hit every day, but I care about this work.” 

“Seattle Children’s — particularly the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit (PBMU), emergency department (ED) and the groups that support them — is still experiencing the impacts of the national youth mental health crisis. Leaders across the organization will continue to support our workforce, patients and families by listening, advocating and championing youth mental health.” 

The American Hospital Association estimated over a year ago, in 2022, that half a million nurses would leave the field by the end of the year, which would result in a total country-wide shortage of 1.1 million nursing professionals. (iStock)

The nurses agree that this is a national crisis.

“Our hospital is a lens into what is happening nationally,” said Pickett.

They believe, however, that steps can be taken at the same time to remedy the safety issues at Seattle Children’s.

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“I could make the same amount of money [in another job] and not be hit every day, but I care about this work,” said Vederoff. 

“I just want my leadership and my managers in this hospital to show that they value this work, too, and they value me.”

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U.S. News & World Report revealed its list of the 2024 Best Diets on Jan. 3.

The list was compiled in partnership with The Harris Poll, an American market research and analytics company, as well as a panel of 43 health experts.

The experts included medical doctors, registered dietitian nutritionists, academic weight-loss researchers and nutritional epidemiologists, according to a press release.

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“Diets that eliminate a lot of foods, have complicated rules or require large reliance on heavily processed shakes and meal replacements don’t fare well in our rankings,” Gretel Schueller, health editor for U.S. News, told Fox News Digital.

“[That’s] mainly because people struggle to stick to them for the long term.”

“Restrictive diets are difficult to follow and can also cause health issues and unhealthy behaviors, like binge eating,” Schueller continued. “The key is lifestyle changes, not quick fixes.”

To determine what qualifies as a “best diet,” the panel evaluated nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based effectiveness, Schueller noted.

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This year’s list of 30 diets spans 11 categories: Best Diets Overall, Best Weight Loss Diets, Best Fast Weight Loss Diets, Best Diabetes Diets, Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Best Diet Programs, Best Family-Friendly Diets, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, Best Plant-Based Diets and Easiest Diets to Follow, the press release stated.

The Mediterranean diet focuses on healthy fats, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans. (iStock)

Here are the 30 best diets for 2024, starting with the top-ranked diet. 

1. Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet, which focuses on healthy fats, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds and beans, has topped the list for the seventh consecutive year.

Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and author of “2-Day Diabetes Diet,” said this diet’s emphasis on whole foods and considerable health benefits has contributed to its popularity.

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“One of the biggest appeals of this meal plan is how it offers a variety of foods with a focus on balance, preventing it from feeling restrictive while also allowing individuals to enjoy the tastes and flavors they enjoy most,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“It is easy to follow and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes,” she said.

2. DASH diet

The DASH diet — the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet — was designed by the U.S.-based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to help lower blood pressure and promote overall health.

The DASH diet, designed to help lower blood pressure and promote overall health, emphasizes more fruit and vegetable intake along with whole foods. (iStock)

“This well-balanced diet puts an emphasis on increasing fruit and vegetable intake along with whole foods, something most of us fall short on,” said Palinski-Wade. “It is a well-balanced, evidence-based eating plan that can offer a variety of health benefits.”

3. MIND diet

The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet is a hybrid of the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. 

This diet is gaining in popularity, as it may help to benefit brain health and potentially reduce the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, noted Palinski-Wade.

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“As a flexible meal plan focused on maximizing overall intake of nutrient-dense foods, it may not only improve cognitive health, but could also reduce the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers,” she said.

4. Mayo Clinic diet

Designed by Mayo Clinic, this 12-week diet program follows a food pyramid with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains, most of which have low calorie density, according to U.S. News. 

The Mayo Clinic diet is a 12-week diet program that follows a food pyramid with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. (iStock)

Members can sign up for a monthly or yearly plan to access meal plans, trackers and other tools to help with healthy eating habits.

5. Flexitarian diet 

For those who want to add more plant-based foods to their diet without fully committing to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, the Flexitarian diet allows for occasional meat consumption, making it more accessible and sustainable for many individuals, Palinski-Wade said. 

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“This diet has been ranked as one of the easiest diets to follow, thanks to its flexibility and the absence of strict rules or restrictions,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“Research also suggests that the Flexitarian diet may be more effective than traditional vegetarian or vegan diets at maintaining heart health.”

6. WeightWatchers

Launched in the 1960s, WeightWatchers (also known as WW) is a points-based membership meal plan designed to aid in weight loss.

“WeightWatchers is focused on lasting weight loss through behavior change, nutrition science and social support,” U.S. News stated. “That involves taking a holistic approach to help members eat healthier and move more.”

7. Volumetrics diet

This diet allows for the consumption of all foods, but calls for larger quantities of low-calorie, healthy meals to curb hunger. 

The Volumetrics diet allows for the consumption of all foods, but calls for larger quantities of low-calorie, healthy meals to curb hunger.  (iStock)

“This diet focuses on satiety and offers flexibility, making it easy to stick with,” said Palinski-Wade. 

“The focus on adding high-volume foods, which are often rich in fiber, may promote a variety of health benefits, from weight loss to lower cholesterol levels and improved heart health.”

The dietitian noted that the Volumetrics diet is also easy to follow, as it does not involve strict rules or restrictions and can be tailored to individual needs and preferences.

8. Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet

Designed by Dr. Andrew Weil, an integrative medicine doctor, this diet plan is designed to reduce and prevent inflammation.

The diet emphasizes unprocessed foods, including lean proteins, healthy fats and fruits and vegetables. 

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“It is a way of selecting and preparing anti-inflammatory foods based on scientific knowledge of how they can help your body maintain optimum health,” said Dr. Weil’s website. 

“Along with influencing inflammation, this natural anti-inflammatory diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids dietary fiber and protective phytonutrients.”

9. TLC diet

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, also known as the TLC Diet, is a program designed to control hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol).

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, also known as the TLC Diet, is a program designed to control hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). (iStock)

“The TLC diet is beneficial for heart health due to its focus on reducing saturated fats and cholesterol while emphasizing fiber-rich plant foods and whole grains, effectively managing cholesterol levels and supporting overall cardiovascular well-being,” Michelle Routhenstein, a New York-based preventive cardiology dietitian at EntirelyNourished.com, told Fox News Digital.

10. Vegan diet

Those on a vegan diet eat only plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and seeds, according to WebMD. It excludes all animal foods, including dairy, eggs and honey.

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“It’s a healthy option for many reasons, as long as you’re purposeful about getting certain nutrients that can be more challenging to get from plants, such as calcium and B-12,” wrote U.S. News in the rankings.

11. Ornish diet

This vegetarian diet, developed in 1977 by Dean Ornish, M.D., a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is low in fat, refined sugar and animal protein, according to the Everyday Health website. 

There are no calorie or food restrictions, other than the elimination of meat, fish and poultry.

“Reversal of chronic disease and overall improved health are some of the benefits that the Ornish diet can provide,” said U.S. News.

12. Pritikin diet

Created by nutritionist Nathan Pritikin, this heart-healthy meal plan consists of 70% complex carbohydrates, 15% fat and 15% lean or plant-based protein.

Created by nutritionist Nathan Pritikin, the heart-healthy Pritikin meal plan consists of 70% complex carbohydrates, 15% fat and 15% lean or plant-based protein. (iStock)

Intended to be followed for a lifetime, the Pritikin diet incorporates low-fat, high-fiber foods along with daily exercise.

13. Zone diet

The Zone diet recommends a certain amount of carbs (40%), protein (30%) and fat (30%) with the goal of reducing inflammation, according to the Healthline website.

Created by Barry Sears, the Zone diet is designed to keep inflammatory hormones at healthy levels.

14. Noom

Noom is a subscription weight loss app that promotes a healthy lifestyle through the use of food and exercise tracking tools, virtual coaching and education.

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Although members can eat any meals they choose, Noom encourages low-calorie and high-volume foods, according to U.S. News.

15. Plantstrong diet

Comprised mainly of healthy vegan foods, this plant-based diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Plantstrong members have access to “hundreds of whole food, plant-based, oil-free recipes,” as well as “personalized meal recommendations, interactive grocery lists, access to food coaches and personal saved menus,” according to its website.

16. South Beach diet

Created by cardiologist Arthur Agatson in 2003, the South Beach diet is a modified low-carb diet intended to aid in weight loss and promote a healthy lifestyle, according to Mayo Clinic.

The South Beach diet is a modified low-carb diet intended to aid in weight loss and promote a healthy lifestyle. (iStock)

Although it is lower in carbs, the South Beach diet isn’t as strict as other low-carb diets.

It also incorporates high levels of protein and healthy fats.

17. Nutritarian diet

The Nutritarian diet consists of plant-based, nutrient-dense superfoods, with only limited animal protein and processed foods.

The diet was developed by family physician Dr. Joel Fuhrman in 2003. 

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It is designed as “a powerful way to lose weight, reverse chronic disease, live better, strengthen your immune defenses and slow the aging process,” according to Fuhrman.

18. Jenny Craig diet

Jenny Craig is a membership weight-loss program that delivers frozen meals every two weeks. 

The focus is on managing calorie intake while encouraging physical activity and healthy behaviors, with the expectation of losing 1 to 2 pounds per week.

19. Profile Plan

The Profile Plan is a “structured program that focuses on nutrition, activity and behavior to promote health and weight loss,” according to U.S. News. 

The Profile Plan is a “structured program that focuses on nutrition, activity and behavior to promote health and weight loss,” according to U.S. News.  (iStock)

Members also have access to personalized one-on-one health coaching.

20. Paleo diet

The Paleo (Paleolithic) diet, also referred to as the “caveman diet,” is made up of foods that are thought to replicate those eaten during the Paleolithic era.

Those include lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, and oils from fruits and nuts, according to Mayo Clinic.

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“While the original paleo diet has sprouted many variations, some of which are less strict than others, it’s important to note that this high-protein diet ranked poorly among our diet experts, who assessed it as too restrictive and nutritionally inadequate to be healthy or sustainable,” wrote U.S. News in its assessment.

21. HMR Program

The Health Management Resources (HMR) diet program is a weight-loss plan that consists of a daily minimum of two entrées, three shakes and five servings of fruits and vegetables.

The program offers meal deliveries, free support and virtual coaching.

22. Nutrisystem diet

Designed by Nutrisystem, this high-protein, lower-glycemic diet is designed to stabilize blood sugar, control hunger and assist with weight management.

“Restrictive diets are difficult to follow and can also cause health issues and unhealthy behaviors, like binge-eating,” said the U.S. News health editor. (iStock)

Palinski-Wade praised the diet’s combination of well-balanced nutrition and convenient delivery options.

“Nutrisystem’s meals are designed by a team of registered dietitians and chefs and provide the perfect balance of low glycemic carbs, protein and healthy fats to curb appetite and provide steady energy,” she said. 

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“The new Nutrisystem 7 in 7 is a one-week, high-protein jumpstart that allows participants to enjoy the motivation that comes with quick success in the first week, which research shows increases the chances of future success.”

23. Keyto diet

Inspired by the Mediterranean diet, the Keyto diet is a low-carb diet that emphasizes healthy proteins and fats from fish and plant-based foods, U.S. News noted. 

The Keyto diet does not include refined carbohydrates or added sugar.

24. Optavia

The Optavia diet focuses on reduced calories and low carbohydrates, offering a combination of packaged and homemade meals.

A “lifestyle program designed for weight loss,” the diet is “derived from the Medifast diet. [It] relies heavily on prepackaged foods, referred to as ‘fuelings,’ in combination with home-prepared recipes,” said U.S. News about this diet plan. 

“Subscribing to the plan will also give you access to an independent coach who can help guide your Optavia journey. Many commercial weight loss plans sell very similar products – bars, shakes, dry soup mixes and more. If you’re a chronic dieter, some of these will undoubtedly taste familiar to you,” the publication noted.

The Optavia diet focuses on reduced calories and low carbohydrates, with a combination of packaged and homemade meals. (iStock)

25. Keto diet

The ketogenic (keto) diet only allows a very small amount of carbohydrates, with an emphasis on high-fat foods.

Some purported health benefits of the keto diet include weight loss and reduced risk of diseases, according to Healthline.

26. Atkins diet

Created by cardiologist Robert Atkins in the 1960s, the Atkins diet is a low-carb meal plan that emphasizes proteins and fats. 

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By restricting carbs, the diet forces the body to use stored fat for energy.

27. SlimFast diet

Introduced in 1977, SlimFast is a diet plan based on meal replacement products, including shakes, smoothies and meal bars. 

“The U.S. News best diets of 2024 have a few things in common — they don’t restrict entire food groups, they emphasize whole foods, and they focus on balance and maintainability.” (iStock)

The remainder of daily calories comes from a “sensible meal” of between 500 and 600 calories.

28. Dukan diet

This diet incorporates high-protein, low-carb foods with the goal of promoting fat burning and weight loss.

“Developed by French physician Dr. Pierre Dukan, the diet claims that you can lose up to 10 pounds within the first week and two to four pounds a week after that until you’ve reached your goal,” wrote U.S. News in its review, also calling the diet “extremely restrictive.”

29. Herbalife Nutrition

Consisting of low-calorie meal replacement shakes and metabolism-boosting supplements, this diet plan “has been criticized by experts,” wrote U.S. News. 

“The company’s nutrition philosophy focuses on balanced and personalized nutrition, including a combination of healthy foods and supplements. Its weight management program combines meal replacement shakes, which are consumed twice a day, and weight loss supplements with physical activity and behavior modification.”

30. Raw food diet

People who follow this eating plan consume mostly or entirely raw and unprocessed foods — specifically food that hasn’t been “cooked, processed, microwaved, irradiated, genetically engineered or exposed to pesticides or herbicides,” noted U.S. News.

It added that since its origination in the late 1800s, it’s “become the focus of research to better understand the effects of raw food on human health.”

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“The U.S. News best diets of 2024 have a few things in common — they don’t restrict entire food groups, they emphasize whole foods, and they focus on balance and maintainability,” added Schueller of U.S. News.

Anyone may learn more about the programs by checking out the full reviews. 

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