Forty percent of healthcare workers experienced workplace violence in the last two years
More than half of all respondents felt that workplace violence incidents had increased during their tenure.
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A new survey from Premier has found that 40% of healthcare workers have experienced at least one incident of workplace violence within the past two years, with the violence occurring most frequently among nursing staff at the hands of men between 35 and 65.
More than half of all reported incidents were at the hands of combative patients.
Those who have experienced such violence indicated that the events most frequently happened while explaining or enforcing an organizational policy, or while providing an update on a patient's condition to the patient or to the patient's family members.
Women reported that incidents of workplace violence were an even 50/50 split between emotional or verbal assaults and physical or sexual abuse. Men were more likely to experience physical abuse (62%) vs. verbal or emotional assaults (38%).
More than half of all respondents felt that workplace violence incidents had increased during their tenure.
Breaking down incidents based on role, 60% of those who experienced violence identified as a bedside nurse. Thirty-four percent of the population of nurses reported emotional or verbal violence, while 66% experienced physical or sexual violence.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
In examining the profile of a typical perpetrator, 62% indicated perpetrators of workplace violence were men, versus 37% who identified their perpetrator as female and 1% who identified them as nonbinary.
Most perpetrators were between the ages of 36-65 (as reported by 61% of respondents), while 27% said their perpetrator was under the age of 35. Sixty-seven percent said the perpetrator was not noticeably under the influence of drugs.
Among survey respondents who provided detail about the workplace violence they experienced, 51% said they dealt with a combative patient. While dealing with a combative patient, 62% of respondents endured scratching, biting and hitting; 21% said the patient threw objects; 14% indicated sexual assault or harassment; and 1% said they were shot by a combative patient using a firearm.
When dealing with incidents against healthcare workers, many of the incidents were not escalated to law enforcement, since many acts of verbal abuse, threats and intimidation generally don't have the same criminal status as they do for police officers, paramedics or emergency medical technicians.
When survey respondents were asked to rank the top contributing factors to acts of workplace violence, 27% ranked mental illness as the top factor, 24% cited drugs and 18% indicated other patient-related factors were contributing causes.
THE LARGER TREND
In April, the bipartisan Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act of 2023 was reintroduced.
This legislation would give healthcare workers the same legal protections against assault and intimidation as aircraft and airport workers. It would also establish a federal grant program at the Department of Justice to augment hospitals' efforts to reduce violence by funding violence prevention training programs, coordination with state and local law enforcement, and physical plant improvements, such as metal detectors and panic buttons.
Data compiled by the Cleveland Clinic in 2021 showed that, while workplace violence can occur in any organization in any industry, it's about four times more prevalent in healthcare than it is in other industries.
A National Nurses United survey done in November 2020 showed that, of 15,000 registered nurses nationwide who responded, 20% reported they were facing increased workplace violence.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com
