II. Definitions
- Workplace Violence
- Work site act or threat of physical Violence, harassment, intimidation or other disruptive behavior
III. Example: Emergency Department
- Healthcare is second only to law enforcement as site of Workplace Violence
- 80% of ED workers report daily or weekly Violence
- 75% had to call police for at least one of these incidents
- Behaviors include spitting, biting, punching or attacking with an object
- Other behaviors include name calling, sexual harassment
- Emergency department factors
- Patients experience long wait times, in over crowded conditions and understaffed EDs
- EDs allow for unrestricted movement, often with inadequate security and policies
- Intoxicated, psychotic, delirious and demented patients are prone to Violence
- Complications
- Physical injury
- Psychological Trauma
- Disrupted patient care
- Decreased job satisfaction with secondary decreased morale, burnout and attrition
- Prevention: System-Level
- Improve visibility throughout clinical areas
- Minimize overcrowding in waiting areas
- Adequate, quick access to exits and alarms
- Adequate security infrastructure
- Staff education and training
- Identification at triage of high risk patients (e.g. STAMP Tool)
- Resources
- Emergency Nursing Association
- OSHA Preventing Violence in Healthcare
- References
- Mason and Forder-Baker in Herbert (2019) EM:Rap 19(1): 8-9
- Peoples and Eyre (2026) Crit Dec Emerg Med 40(4): 17-8
IV. Resources
- OSHA
- Department of Labor
- National Safety Council