If you ask a healthcare worker if they have witnessed or personally been affected by workplace violence, there is a very high likelihood they would say yes. Sadly, workplace violence in healthcare has become so common it’s considered a norm and “just part of the job.”
The continued rise in workplace violence in healthcare isn’t sustainable and immediate action is needed to address the issue.
Immediate Consequences of Hospital Workplace Violence
Whether getting attacked by a patient coming out of surgery, accosted by a patient’s family member during grief, or assaulted by a coworker, workplace violence can manifest in many forms that go beyond purely physical. Workplace violence includes verbal assaults, sexual assaults, and bullying. And while workplace violence is most prevalent among healthcare providers, it can affect anyone – including hospital visitors or patients.
The immediate consequences of unchecked workplace violence are severe. Research demonstrates that chronic exposure to workplace violence puts victims at a greater risk for developing mental health conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, in addition to decreased productivity, lower morale, higher absenteeism, and increased burnout.
Downstream Effects of Hospital Workplace Violence: Increased Turnover
Workplace safety is a major contributor to burnout and turnover, amplifying staffing shortages and driving additional expenses for hospitals. According to McKinsey, in 2023, over one-third of nurses surveyed reported an intent to leave their jobs, with an unsafe work environment being the most important factor affecting this decision. This startling statistic is up from 24% in March 2022.
RELATED: MORE THAN 8 IN 10 NURSES EXPERIENCED WORKPLACE VIOLENCE IN PAST YEAR
For hospital administrators, addressing staff shortages creates multiple challenges, from additional recruiting and training expenses to increased overtime and supplemental staffing, such as traveling nurses. In both instances, turnover creates an increased burden on the remaining staff members, further amplifying the effect. All of this negatively affects employee morale and the potential for burnout.
Perhaps the most serious consequence of workplace violence is the impact on a nurse’s ability to focus on patient care. When nurses fear for their safety, they may be nervous to enter certain patient rooms or areas of the hospital. Similarly, routine instances of verbal abuse or threats of violence further deter them from their primary objective, to provide the best quality patient care in a safe environment, not to mention the toll it takes on their physical and mental well-being.
AI-Powered Healthcare Staff Safety Solutions
Traditional staff safety solutions have been inefficient in addressing rising levels of workplace violence. For example, wall-mounted panic buttons do little to de-escalate situations and are impractical if being chased or if the assailant is standing between them and the button. While certainly an improvement, wearable badges with panic buttons often fall short due to cost, deployment, and accuracy issues.
Thankfully, a new category of staff safety solutions overcome the inadequacies of legacy offerings by utilizing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, as well as cost-effective sensor technologies and improved wearable panic buttons. With the power of AI at the core of these solutions, hospitals can achieve comprehensive campus-wide coverage, allowing security teams to pinpoint in real time the exact location of endangered personnel even if they are moving during an incident or located outdoors in a walkway, parking lot, or garage.
These AI-driven staff safety solutions include an incident management suite that provides forensic reporting and insights, helping hospital administrators identify violence hotspots within their facilities and address the number of unreported incidents. In addition to informing facilities about specific workplace incidents, this knowledge helps hospitals proactively address problematic situations before they occur.
An Issue That Demands Change
The alarming prevalence of workplace violence in hospitals underscores a critical need for immediate and effective intervention. The physical and emotional toll on healthcare workers – coupled with the operational and financial strain on hospital administrations – highlights the urgency of adopting innovative solutions.
RELATED: ASSAULTS ON NURSES INCREASED 5% IN 2023
As regulatory pressures from organizations like the Joint Commission and the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration increase, hospitals must prioritize the implementation of these advanced systems. Failure to demonstrate a comprehensive workplace violence plan and meaningful change could result in punitive action.
Embracing AI-driven safety measures is not just a technological upgrade; it is a necessary step towards fostering a secure and supportive healthcare environment and ensuring the well-being of both staff and patients.
Jeff Stiffler is Director of Product Marketing, Healthcare, for Cognosos, a real-time asset intelligence software company.
Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety.