[hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Healthcare workers, especially those working in the emergency department, experience high rates of workplace violence. [/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Addressing the issue of patient-to-staff physical assaults can be as simple as implementing screening processes, which have been shown to decrease assault incidents. [/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In one case, the rate of 0.265 patient-to-staff assaults per 1,000 patient visits decreased to 0.146 per 1,000 patient visits.[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In October 2023, emergency room [hen-ui-link href=”https://reader.mediawiremobile.com/TheOakwoodRegister/issues/208670/viewer?fbclid=IwAR3gkyJCcDoSXy8FS1RW4kVeELwTfNotNW9Yw7bSN28UwKCHRk6CW41sNxw&page=3″ target=”_blank”]nurse Tristin Kate Smith took her own life[/hen-ui-link] after what she described as abuses she experienced at her work. The 28-year-old openly titled her final note, “Letter to my abuser,” in which she detailed the times she saw colleagues get hit, criminally charged, and exploited.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Sadly, Smith is not an outlier. According to the World Health Organization, up to [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.who.int/activities/preventing-violence-against-health-workers” target=”_blank”]38% of health workers experienced physical violence[/hen-ui-link] at some point in their careers. In addition, nurses die by suicide more frequently than people in the general population.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]A 2018 [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aamc.org/news/rising-violence-emergency-department#:~:text=Nearly%2050%25%20of%20emergency%20physicians,or%20kicked%20on%20the%20job.” target=”_blank”]American College of Emergency Physicians survey[/hen-ui-link] found that workplace abuse topped 70% for emergency room (ER) nurses. (Note: Nurses were not asked the same question for the 2022 survey).[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Violence against nurses is on the rise, but this does not have to be the reality. In this report, we give a timeline of recent incidents of violence against nurses. Finally, we provide some solutions for how healthcare centers can respond to increase workplace safety.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Violence Against Nurses: A Recent Timeline[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The following events are recent incidents of violence against nurses to make national headlines. It is not an exhaustive list of all occurrences.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Potential Solutions for Workplace Violence Against Nurses[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]What is the best way to address workplace violence against nurses? One possibility is to enact laws that will protect hospital staff.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]For example, North Carolina passed a [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ncleg.gov/Sessions/2023/Bills/House/PDF/H125v7.pdf” target=”_blank”]new law[/hen-ui-link] that requires hospitals with emergency departments to have a law enforcement officer on-site at all times. The new state law takes effect in 2025.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In April 2023, the governor of Kansas [hen-ui-link href=”https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/ks/2023-2024/bills/KSB00009647/” target=”_blank”]signed a bill[/hen-ui-link] that increased penalties for individuals who commit battery towards a healthcare provider.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]But how can healthcare institutions enact their own violence prevention plans? According to Sheila Mallett-Smith, the clinical nursing director at LA General Medical Center, any hospital or healthcare facility looking to design and implement its assault prevention plan should include some key elements:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-card variant=”background-white” border=”stroke” padding=”lg”] [hen-ui-card-content] [hen-ui-list variant=”ordered” bullet-style=”number”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Identify patient risk characteristics at the facility and in literature[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Early screening to identify patients at risk of aggression/violence[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Alert system to flag patients who have physically assaulted staff on previous visits[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Training staff on de-escalation techniques, injury prevention, and assault prevention strategies for patients identified at risk upon arrival[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Behavioral response team of experts in de-escalation and restraint application[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Workplace Violence Committee to monitor, track, trend and adjust strategies to reduce and sustain reduced verbal and physical assaults[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Implementation of procedures to mitigate common triggers of violence[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Strong and visible leadership support for zero violence[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Policies and procedures that support aggression/violence reduction[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list] [/hen-ui-card-content][/hen-ui-card][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Mallett-Smith is also the first author of a [hen-ui-link href=”https://journals.lww.com/jncqjournal/abstract/2023/10000/implementation_of_an_assault_prevention_quality.8.aspx?context=featuredarticles&collectionid=5″ target=”_blank”]2023 article in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality[/hen-ui-link], in which the authors present the effectiveness of an assault intervention initiative used in the emergency department.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Prior to the implementation of the workplace violence prevention model, there was a rate of 0.265 incidents of physical assaults for every 1,000 patient visits by patients towards staff.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]After the utilization of “Plan-Do-Study-Act” prevention systems, which incorporated risk for violence screenings (RVST) of adult patients in the emergency department, the rate of assaults decreased to 0.146 per 1,000 patient visits.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Some states have implemented workplace violence policies.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]In October 2023, Massachusetts lawmakers held a hearing on [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nurses-advocates-to-testify-in-favor-of-legislation-to-prevent-workplace-violence-against-health-care-workers-at-oct-4th-state-house-hearing-301946083.html” target=”_blank”]legislation requiring hospitals to design and implement policies[/hen-ui-link] that would better prevent violence against healthcare workers.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Part of the bill required employers to perform annual risk assessments and identify factors that threaten worker safety (e.g., time of day, staffing levels).[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-accordion variant=”no-background”] [hen-ui-accordion-item title=”Sources”] [hen-ui-text-stack gap=”sm”] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Mallet-Smith S, et al. (2023). [hen-ui-link href=”https://journals.lww.com/jncqjournal/abstract/2023/10000/implementation_of_an_assault_prevention_quality.8.aspx?context=featuredarticles&collectionid=5″ target=”_blank”]Implementation of an Assault Prevention Quality Improvement Initiative in an Urban Emergency Department[/hen-ui-link]. Journal of Nursing Care Quality[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.who.int/activities/preventing-violence-against-health-workers” target=”_blank”]Preventing violence against health workers[/hen-ui-link]. (2023). WHO[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-text-stack] [/hen-ui-accordion-item][/hen-ui-accordion][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ class=”mt-6″]Page last reviewed on November 19, 2023[/hen-ui-text]