The Unthinkable: Violence in Healthcare from Bullying to an Active Shooter

Description

Considering the news and staggering events of mass shootings in the last several months, workplace violence might be foremost in our minds.  Most of us think of workplace violence occurring only in the workplace setting, but the threatening conduct is broader and may encompass behavior occurring outside the actual workplace. Even domestic violence creates challenges for all employers. The healthcare environment creates an even greater challenge to prevent and intervene in healthcare violence.

The rate of injuries and illness from violence in the healthcare industry is more than three times greater than violence in all private industry. Healthcare organizations include hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical office clinics, home health care, home-based hospice, paramedic and emergency medical services, mobile clinics, drug treatment programs and ancillary healthcare organizations.  What makes violence in healthcare unique is that it carries negative ramifications for quality patient care.
In the U.S. some states, such as California, have passed legislation specifically addressing violence in healthcare. There are other federal and state laws that require the employer to address the hazards of workplace violence, and laws that protect the victims of workplace violence.

OSHA identifies healthcare as one of three “high risk” industries for violence.  The violence is perpetrated not only by patients, their families, and visitors, but as well among the health professionals themselves.  It may include a patient admitted to the ER high on drugs and wielding a knife.  Or, it may be an enraged physician in the operating room flinging a scalpel at a nurse.  And, the violence may be one nurse bullying another nurse – depending how the word “violence” is actually defined.

Violence in healthcare is not unique to the United States.  In 2016, the 4th International Conference on Violence in Healthcare will be held in Ireland. In the U.S. some states, such as California, have passed legislation specifically addressing violence in healthcare. In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data reported healthcare and social assistance workers were the victims of approximately 11,370 assaults by persons; a greater than 13% increase over the number of such assaults reported in 2009. Almost 19% (i.e., 2,130) of these assaults occurred in nursing and residential care facilities alone. Unfortunately, many more incidents probably go unreported.

Areas to be Covered?

• To define workplace violence
• To provide examples of workplace violence in healthcare
• To discuss the relevant laws that address workplace violence
• To state the impact and consequences of violence to the healthcare victims, the organization and patient care
• To examine the clinical, occupational, social, and economic factors of violence in healthcare
• To review 10 de-escalation tips when dealing with an angry individual
• To examine the causes of healthcare violence
• To discuss a violence prevention program to ensure patients, families, visitors, and staff are safe using JCAHO guidlines
• To outline the roles and responsibilities of the organization’s stakeholders
• To explain how to help the workplace and workers recover following a violent episode