Measures to Curb Workforce Violence Ramp Up in Hospitals Across America
U.S. hospitals are seeing a dramatic rise in workplace violence. While some organizations are taking active steps to address the issue — including developing internal and external campaigns — more is needed: Only 43 percent of workers believe their organization’s policies against workplace violence are effective.
// By John Marzano //
In most hospitals today, electronic medical records and patient portals house patients’ personal health history, enabling convenient access. Now, an unintended consequence is that some patients use this access to bully their providers via threatening email messages. The irony is stunning.
Mark Moore, corporate director of protective and support services at Dayton Children’s Hospital
“The events of the world have created a sense of urgency,” says Mark Moore, a former marine who serves as corporate director of protective and support services at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Ohio. “COVID-19 turned the world on its head, resulting in an increase in incidents of violence brought on primarily by higher levels of patient and family anxiety, staff shortages, and general frustration in people.”
While health care workers are trained to always be ready to comfort after a violent mass casualty event on people in their community, their lives and work environment aren’t always protected in the same way. Even before the pandemic, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “the health care and social service industries … are five times as likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than workers overall.” (2018).
Here, we look at some of the steps health care organizations, crisis prevention experts, and legislators are taking to combat violence in the workplace, and what your organization can do to protect your greatest asset: your health care workers.