By

BSN IV-A; Group 4

 Of the medical professionals, nurses suffer the
largest number and the highest rate of non-
fatal workplace violence.
 Healthcare patients are the source of more than
half of nonfatal workplace assaults, with
current and former co-workers accounting for
8%.
 Mental health and emergency departments are
typically the most noted areas for violence;
however, all departments in healthcare settings
are at risk. (Wilburn, 2010)
 Workplace violence as any physical assault,
threatening behavior or verbal abuse occurring
in the workplace. Violence includes overt and
covert behaviors ranging in aggressiveness
from verbal harassment to murder. (NIOSH
1996, OSHA 1996).
 Factors contribute to workplace violence
towards nurses at medical facilities:
 Understaffing
 Inadequate training
 Lack of support from administration / Apathetic
management
 Unreported acts of violence or inaccurate reporting
 Absence of clearly defined safety policies and
reporting procedures
 The results of an Emergency Nurses
Association survey released in 2009 found that
more than 50% of ER nurses had experienced
violence by patients on the job and more than
25% had experienced 20 or more violent
incidents in the past three years. Research
showed long wait times, a shortage of nurses,
drug and alcohol use by patients, and
treatment of psychiatric patients all contributed
to violence in the ER. 
 Communicate any violent tendencies of patients to coworkers and to
upper management.
 Assess the environment to be aware of what objects in the vicinity can be
used as weapons.
 Commit to taking control, and take ownership of your personal safety. Be
proactive, not complacent. Do not simply accept that violence is part of
the job.
 Report any and all incidents of violence accurately and promptly
according to your employer's policies and procedures.
 Visit patients in pairs. This can be difficult, as many health care facilities
may not have the staffing to accommodate pairings
 Ensure no employees who report concerns or incidents of workplace
violence face reprisals.
 Conduct daily briefings with the staff to discuss any new patients with
violent history or tendencies, so everyone is on the same page and can
contribute to creating as safe a workplace as possible.
 http://healthcareers.about.com/b/2010/10/27
/awareness-training-help-prevent-workplace-
violence-against-nurses.htm
 http://www.ehow.com/how_6599732_preven
ting-workplace-violence-nursing-facilities.html
 http://www.wsna.org/Topics/Workplace-
Environment-You/default.aspx