Violent incidents involving hospital workers have increased nearly 40 percent in the last three years, according to the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety.
To help reduce violence in the emergency department, Ginger Wirth, RN, and Denise Sexton, RN, BSN, divisional directors of clinical services at EmCare, share some tips in a recent blog post, including the following:
1. Teach staff to recognize aggressive or escalating behaviors.
2. Educate staff on how to deescalate potentially violent customers.
3. Educate staff on the federal laws in place to protect healthcare workers.
4. Post signs in the ED stipulating the department's stance on aggression, disrespect and violence to inform families, patients and visitors.
5. If violence does occur, perform a root cause analysis.
For more tips on reducing violence in the ED, read the full blog post.