Workplace Safety Increases With Multiple Interventions

Healthcare employees are often trained in workplace safety measures throughout the year, covering everything from fire drills to chemical spills. But sometimes the danger to caregivers can come from the patients themselves.

A 2013 study shows that more than 70% of nurses have experienced some sort of violence from their patients, with emergency department nurses at an even higher number. Some of the nurses surveyed noted they had experienced 50 or more instances of workplace violence during their career.

The American College of Emergency Physicians gathered the following statistics in a 2018 survey While patients’ safety is often on the minds of healthcare leadership, keeping the workplace safe for caregivers should also be a consideration. A large amount of workplace violence goes unreported and studies have shown employees are frustrated with inaction from their leadership when they do report.