Margaret Curtin, Curi Advisory Risk Consulting, shares the key components of a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program so you can protect your team.
I was leaving work, making my way down the hallway that connected our office to the parking ramp shared with the hospital, when a security guard stopped me and said the building was on lockdown. An event at the hospital triggered their active shooter protocol. It was frightening, even though I wasn’t directly involved.
If you work in a healthcare, hospital, or medical office setting, you surely have your own story or stories of encounters with perpetrators of violence—likely even more up close and personal.
As a risk professional, I want to do everything possible to support organizations in preventing workplace violence. Read on for powerful insights and tips.
It’s not at all uncommon for me to hear from healthcare professionals during my risk assessment interviews that they feel unsafe in their jobs and at their workplace. Often, they report some level of verbal abuse or incivility from patients, family members, and even colleagues. The most challenging conversations are when they report having been physically attacked (hit, kicked, pushed, etc.).
As a health system or hospital risk professional, you know things aren’t great out there lately. I read a recent article about a situation that occurred in the Midwest where a man was arrested in connection to an alleged bomb threat at a health center because he was “on hold too long.” While this seems like an extreme reaction to frustration, other more common acts of violence against healthcare professionals take place every hour.
Your team shows up to heal, comfort, and support, yet they’re increasingly being assaulted and intimidated. These are not isolated events. Fortunately, there’s much you can do to prevent or lessen them. Keep reading.
Acts of violence often start in the community and follow the injured person into the healthcare organization: first into the emergency department (ED), then into the inpatient setting, and even after discharge, into the medical office for follow-up care. No setting, no specialty, and no healthcare clinician is immune from acts or potential acts of violence.
Where: The most frequent locations for violence in hospitals are psychiatric departments, EDs, waiting rooms, and geriatric units, with rural areas having higher prevalence rates than urban areas.1,2
Who: Estimates of the prevalence of workplace violence against physicians are 24.4% to 59.3%, 9.5% to 62.1% against nurses, and 15.1% to 68.4% against receptionists.2 Registered nurses (RNs), nursing assistants, and patient care assistants experience particularly high rates of workplace violence.3,4
What: The types of violence that appear to be most prevalent are threats, bullying, physical assault, sexual assault, and harassment.
Most healthcare professionals don’t report the acts because the experience has become so commonplace they expect them. Many say that even if they do speak up, nothing will change.
The AHA recently released a comprehensive report by the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, part of the University of Washington's School of Medicine, stating that the total annual financial cost of violence to hospitals in 2023 was estimated at $18.27 billion. The study sought to estimate the costs and other impacts associated with workplace and community violence.
The researchers estimated pre-event costs at $3.62 billion, primarily for prevention measures. They cited post-event costs, including healthcare, work loss, case management, staffing, and infrastructure repair, as $14.65 billion.
In a world of consolidations, mergers, closures, and bankruptcies, healthcare delivery systems can't afford to lose billions and must implement or enhance violence prevention programs.
A comprehensive violence prevention program is proactive, structured, and rooted in evidence. The top components of a workplace violence prevention program include:
Taking an assessment is your first step. You have the option to use tools available for free or purchase and conduct the assessment yourself, or you can use a partner with expertise in this area to conduct the assessment with you. Either option aims to identify high-risk areas, times, and patient populations. With this knowledge, you can implement targeted interventions—such as modifying physical layouts, adjusting staff, or patient screening protocols—that can reduce the likelihood of violence.
After an incident, it's not enough to fill out a report and move on. Offer debriefs, counseling, and modified shifts for team members who’ve been impacted. Violence is traumatic, and healing isn’t measured by a clock.
Too often, organizations post signs that say, “violence will not be tolerated,” but don’t back it up with action. A real policy means supporting staff who report violence, pressing charges when appropriate, and refusing to allow abusive behavior to go unchecked just because someone is ill.
This sends a clear message: Violence is not part of the job. Leadership must send the message—consistently—that employee safety is as important as patient safety. When people know they’ll be believed, protected, and supported, they’re more likely to report incidents, speak up early, and stay engaged in prevention efforts.
We know it’s immensely difficult for you to see your team impacted by violence, and that you want to do everything you can to extend compassion to those providing compassionate care every day.
Implementing a comprehensive violence prevention program isn’t a five-minute fix, but it’s a manageable must for your organization. And we’re here to help.
Curi Advisory Risk Consulting, powered by ERC Risk, is your partner for violence prevention assessments, program implementation, and ongoing educational support and advisement for your violence prevention efforts. Let us assist you in both keeping your team safe as well as meeting your regulatory requirements under CMS and the Joint Commission. Contact me directly at margaret.curtin@curi.com or visit our webpage to learn about all we offer: curi.com/advisory/risk-consulting.
ASHRM Health Care Facility Workplace Violence Risk Assessment Toolkit
AHA Workforce and Workplace Violence Prevention
ENA Workplace Violence Resources
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