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View All ProductsIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
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Learn MoreWhile bullying is predominantly verbal in nature, physical violence presents another threat where nurses are unfortunately overrepresented as victims. Violence in healthcare is so prevalent that OSHA has published “Preventing Workplace Violence: A Road Map for Healthcare Facilities” (OSHA, 2017). The following is a sampling of the resources and publications addressing this issue point to the prevalence of the problem:
Technology Solutions
Technology may also offer a solution to predicting and preventing violence. New Hampshire Hospital’s “Project Pause” is a smartphone app for predicting patient violence in the behavioral health setting. Patients answer self-assessment questions every two hours, and researchers compare the data with violent incident reports. For example, the app asks, “Since the last time we asked, have you been physically aggressive toward anyone?”
Violence Is Not Always Intentional
Most violence perpetrated by patients is unintentional. Dementia, psychosis, and sudden or unexpected pain can all be reasons a patient might become violent. Danger from belligerent patients includes punching, biting, and hurling objects.
Violence toward nurses is certainly not limited to patients. Nurses must also deal with angry family members, the perpetrators of domestic violence against their patients, and even violent criminals. One nurse reports being cornered in a room by a violent man brandishing two knives. “I yelled for the security officer, and he had to call for more help from deputies who were luckily just a few rooms away. One of the deputies tased the man and disarmed him. You need to remain alert, constantly assessing patients and being prepared to de-escalate the situation.”
Too Many Nurses Are Violence Victims
Nurses in emergency departments are disproportionately victims of workplace violence, according to the Emergency Department Violence Surveillance Study, published by the Emergency Nurses Association. The study found that 55.6% of nurses reported they had experienced physical violence, verbal violence or both. Furthermore, the study found that 57.6% of nurses surveyed rated the safety of their ED as a 5 out of 10 or lower (Emergency Nurses Association, 2011).
Sadly, the majority of survey participants who were victims of workplace violence did not file a formal report for the physical violence or the verbal abuse they experienced. Writing for Hospitals & Health Networks, Pamela Thompson, RN says, “There is an underlying cultural problem within the healthcare setting regarding workplace violence—workers tend not to report incidents, specifically in the ED. Recent research indicates that many healthcare workers underreport violence because it is inconvenient, and they accept such conditions as part of the job” (Thompson, 2015).
Solutions to Preventing Violence Against Nurses
How can we protect nurses? A frequent answer is simply safety in numbers through adequate staffing, but thoughtful design of the patient care environment is also a key to prevention. Facilities should provide adequate lighting and visibility, physical barriers and escape routes, and, some sources say, patient care areas with limited furnishings and other items that could become projectiles. Authorities say training should offer both instruction and hands-on experience to be effective.
References
Emergency Nurses Association (2011). Emergency Department Violence Surveillance Study. Retrieved from https://www.ena.org/docs/default-source/resourcelibrary/practice-resources/workplace-violence/2011-emergency-department-violence-surveillance-report.pdf?sfvrsn=5ad81911_4
Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA),(2017). Preventing Workplace Violence: A Road Map for Healthcare Facilities 2015. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3827.pdf
Thompson, P. (2015). “Addressing Violence in the Health Care Workplace,” Hospitals & Health Networks. Retrieved from https://www.hhnmag.com/articles/3365-addressing-violence-in-the-health-care-workplace
Learn about HealthStream’s solutions designed to help you onboard and retain your nursing staff.
HealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All Learning & PerformanceHealthStream offers performance learning management solutions to help develop your healthcare staff into leaders and reduce turnover.
View All ProductsHealthStream works with healthcare organizations to create engaging and high-quality training videos for your staff and management.
View All ProductsImprove care quality and save money by making informed decisions about your healthcare facility and staff with HealthStream's reporting analytics solution.
View All ProductsHealthStream's proven methods for the improvement and overall engagement of your healthcare staff foster a positive workplace and increase retention rates.
View All ProductsThe leadership development program from HealthStream helps mold your high-potential healthcare employees into proven leaders.
View All ProductsWhen you enact HealthStream's quality compliance solutions, you can do so with the confidence your healthcare organization will meet all standards of care.
View All Quality & ComplianceFulfill compliance requirements with a variety of programs and courseware designed to address critical regulatory requirements as well as educate staff to recognize and mitigate risks.
View All ProductsBy increasing your healthcare staff's focus on quality and safety with HealthStream, they can help to reduce medical errors and readmission rates.
View All ProductsLearn about what HealthStream's healthcare policy management software and how it can help aid your organization efforts.
View All ProductsHealthStream's education helps address diversity, equity, and inclusion within your organization, as well as promoting health equity in the communities you serve.
View All ProductsHealthStream offers professional training and education on how to best optimize your reimbursement process within your healthcare organization.
View All ReimbursementTeach your healthcare staff about the revenue cycle and claim management through targeted training and video tools from HealthStream.
View All ProductsLearn about our advanced resuscitation training solutions. Our solutions are designed to help improve patient outcomes.
View All ResuscitationIn all areas of resuscitation, from neonatal to elderly care, clinical deterioration is a risk that can be avoided with the help of HealthStream's training programs.
View All ProductsNurture the skills of your nurses and medical staff to help mold them into effective leaders with development training from HealthStream.
View All ProductsExpand the decision-making skills and effectiveness of your healthcare workforce with HealthStream's clinical development programs and services.
View All Clinical DevelopmentMake sure your clinicians have the support they need to provide competent care with clinical competency training and development from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s learning management system and comprehensive suite of competency management tools empower your healthcare workforce to deliver the best patient care.
View All ProductsThe suite of healthcare onboarding solutions available from HealthStream aids in nurse retention and improved patient outcomes.
View All ProductsGive your healthcare staff the decision support and skills training they need with the online products available from HealthStream.
View All ProductsHealthStream leverages medical professional development in healthcare by providing staff training programs
View All ProductsLearn more about HealthStream's provider credentialing, privileging, & enrollment solutions for healthcare organizations.
View All CredentialingExperience standardized and centralized healthcare provider credentialing, privileging, and enrollment that is smarter and faster than ever before.
View All ProductsAutomated, web-based provider credentialing and enrollment software for growing medical groups.
View All ProductsNCQA-certified CVO verification services for initial and re-credentialing files in an overflow or full-service capacity for healthcare organizations.
View All ProductsSearch, review, and add providers into the Epic provider master file with our Epic app integration, Provider Validate.
View All ProductsMake sure your healthcare staff can schedule out appointments and work schedules with ease using HealthStream's line of software solutions.
View All SchedulingHealthcare scheduling software designed to optimize staffing requirements & elevate patient care
View All ProductsPrecisely align staffing and needed resources to enable efficient patient flow and high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
View All ProductsHealthStream’s free nurse schedule app, NurseGrid™, is built to help you care for your staff and engage with their specific needs.
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