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CE: Professional Issues
JEFFREY LEESER
Danger Is Not in My
Job Description
An overview of violence in the healthcare
workplace
By Jennifer Oakley, FNP, MSN, RN
HEALTHCARE and social assistance represent the largest industry
sector in the country. Approximately 18.9 million healthcare
workers were employed in 2012, which calculates to 11.5% of the
total United States workforce. 1 Yet as healthcare workers dedicate
their lives to the care and treatment of patients, they sometimes
end up putting their own safety and health at risk.
In 2013, healthcare workers reported 9,200 nonfatal workplace
injuries related to violence, an amount representing more than 67%
of injuries reported in all industries and professions. 1 It has been suggested
that the unique culture and unpredictability of the hospital
setting increase the risk of both physical and emotional violence.
Over the last decade, healthcare workers have accounted for up
to two-thirds of violent injuries involving days away from work.
They have become victims of the very people they are trying to
help and comfort. The risk of assault requiring time off the job is
almost 5 times greater than in any other workforce. Underreporting
of patient-on-worker assaults (physical and verbal) has been associated
with the belief that “it is part of the job.”
One hospital system reported that 30% of its nurses required
treatment for violent injuries in a particular year, with a total cost of
$94,156 ($78,924 for treatment and $15,232 for lost wages). 2 Other
costs may include clinician fatigue, injury and stress tied to a higher
risk of medical errors and patient infections. Injury and stress are
common factors that drive clinicians to leave the profession, with
an estimated $27, 000 to $103, 000 in costs to replace nursing staff. 2
These costs include separation, recruiting, hiring,
orientation and training. Hospital satisfaction
surveys are often higher in hospitals with lower
numbers of dissatisfied nurses and burnout.
A Recognized Hazard
Workplace violence is a recognized hazard in the
healthcare industry. This violence can consist of
threats or actions of physical violence, harassment,
intimidation, or other threatening disruptive
behavior. In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported that healthcare and social assistance
workers were victims of approximately 11,370
assaults. 3 This number represents an increase
of 13% since 2009. 3
The highest rates of violence are reported by
emergency department nurses. A recent survey
of 3,465 members of the Emergency Nurses
Association found that more than 50% of respondents
reported experiencing physical violence in
the prior year, and 70% had experienced verbal
abuse. 4 Yet clinicians are largely underprotected
and underprepared to prevent and manage these
violent patients. High-risk environments such as
this require education and increased awareness
about general prevention and management of
violence by patients and their families.
This continuing education offering sponsored by
The University of Phoenix School of Nursing.
www.phoenix.edu
www.advanceweb.com/Nurses n MAY 2016 n ADVANCE FOR NURSES 37