The Unthinkable: Violence in Healthcare from Bullying to an Active Shooter

Why Should You Attend:

Assaults and even murder are becoming a major problem in hospitals and other healthcare organizations across the country The rate of injuries and illness from violence in the healthcare industry is more than three times greater than violence in all private industry. OSHA identifies healthcare as one of three “high risk” industries for violence. The violence is perpetrated not only by patients, their families, and visitors, but also among the health professionals themselves.

In 2021 hospital violence increased 149% from the previous year. More than 5,000 nurses were assaulted on the job in the second quarter of 2022 alone, which equals 2 nurses assaulted every hour, 57 assaulted daily, and 1,739 nurses assaulted per month. Violence against nurses is an epidemic. Two-thirds of ER physicians have been assaulted in the last year. The violence is perpetrated not only by patients, their families, and visitors, but as well among the health professionals themselves. It may include a patient admitted to the ER high on drugs and wielding a knife. Or, it may be an enraged physician in the operating room flinging a scalpel at a nurse. One nurse stated it is inevitable in bedside nursing that the nurse will be assaulted at some point. Some studies report that hospitals do little to prevent or respond to violent episodes.

Healthcare organizations include hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical office clinics, home health care, home-based hospice, paramedic and emergency medical services, mobile clinics, drug treatment programs and ancillary healthcare organizations. What makes violence in healthcare unique is that it carries negative ramifications for quality patient care.

Violence in healthcare is not unique to the United States. In 2018, the 6th International Conference on Violence in Healthcare was held in Ireland. In the U.S. some states, such as California, have passed legislation specifically addressing violence in healthcare. Unfortunately, many more incidents probably go unreported.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• To define workplace violence

• To provide examples of workplace violence in healthcare

• To discuss the relevant laws that address workplace violence

• To state the impact and consequences of violence to healthcare victims, the organization and patient care

• To examine the clinical, occupational, social, and economic factors of violence in healthcare

• To examine the causes of healthcare violence

• To discuss a violence prevention program to ensure patients, families, visitors, and staff are safe

• To outline the roles and responsibilities of the organization’s stakeholders

• To explain how to help the workplace and workers recover following a violent episode

Who Will Benefit:

• Director of Risk Management
• Director of Safety
• Director of Quality Improvement
• Occupational Health Nurse
• VP of Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer
• Legal Counsel
• Chief Medical Officer
• Chief Operations Officer
• HR Managers
• Office Manager
• HR Personnel

Dr. Susan Strauss
Workplace and Education Harassment and Bullying Consultant, Strauss Consulting

Susan has worked as an RN in public health, pediatrics, medical-surgical, psychiatry, and the operating room. She has been the director of quality improvement, education and development, and held other healthcare leadership roles. Dr. Strauss researched physician abuse to RNs in the operating room to determine if the abuse varied based on the gender of the nurse.

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