A 36-year-old Queens man was arrested after allegedly punching two nurses at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, where he was being treated as a patient. Police said Oshane Bernard became agitated and struck both nurses with a closed fist during the encounter on Monday.
Nassau County Police officers responded to an assault report inside the hospital, located at 300 Community Drive, according to longisland.com. As reported by DailyVoice.com, the assault report occurred around 3:30 p.m., though a separate account places the incident at 3:37 p.m. that same Monday.
Police said Bernard, of Oakland Gardens, struck the two nurses — both 29 years old — with a closed fist after becoming agitated. The nurses were evaluated by hospital staff at the scene, and Bernard was placed under arrest without incident, according to a report from Patch.
Charges Filed, Arraignment Pending
Bernard was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, per the same account. He will be arraigned when medically practical, police said, since he remained a patient at the hospital following the incident.
No hospital statement addressing the arrest has been made public, and details such as Bernard's attorney, plea, or any bail conditions have not been released.
A Pattern Of Hospital Attacks Across New York
The Manhasset case follows another alleged hospital assault just weeks earlier in upstate New York. On September 22, a man allegedly assaulted a registered nurse in the emergency department at Auburn Community Hospital by choking the nurse with a stethoscope, according to silive.com.
Auburn police responded to that hospital's emergency department at about 10 a.m. after receiving an assault report. Police said Christopher B. Titus pulled a stethoscope across the nurse's throat and applied pressure that made breathing difficult, then left before officers arrived. He was located and taken into custody the following day and was charged with three felonies and arraigned in Auburn City Court.
Why Healthcare Workers Face Elevated Risk
Federal workplace safety officials have long flagged hospitals as high-risk environments for violence against staff. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings face significant risks of workplace violence, with contributing factors including working directly with people who have a history of violence or who may be delirious or under the influence of drugs.
Separate federal labor data cited by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows service occupations, including nursing assistants, recorded 25,320 total cases involving days away from work, restricted duty, or transfer due to intentional injury by another person during 2021-2022. Nassau County investigators have not released any additional information about Bernard's case beyond the arrest and pending charges.
