Medical and nursing schools should probably teach karate and conflict de-escalation techniques along with triage and intubation. That is because if you work in healthcare, you are five times more likely to experience violence in your workplace than those who work in other occupations.
An article from National Nurses United detailed results from a 2023 survey in which 81.6 percent of nurses reported experiencing some type of workplace violence within the year. Nearly half reported an increase in violence from the previous year.
Included in this report were horrific anecdotal examples of workplace violence from across the United States:
Illinois: “Working on a psych unit with 20 patients and two nurses, while being [a] charge [nurse]. I have been verbally and physically threatened. I have been punched, slapped, spat on, hit, kicked, and bitten.”
New Mexico: “There has been an increase in patients with psychiatric issues being hospitalized. The appropriate psychiatric hospitals are full or are refusing to take these patients even though there is no health reason [for] the patient to stay in the hospital. This leaves ill-equipped hospital staff, mostly nurses and techs, to care for these patients for prolonged periods without the proper training, resources, or environment. Staff members are getting physically and mentally abused. Many staff members have left due to the abuse. I have recently left my position of five years and one of the major factors in my decision to leave has been the increased workplace violence.”
North Carolina: “I work in the emergency department. I am verbally threatened almost every shift. I am physically threatened at least once a week. In the last three months I have experienced every single form of violence listed in this survey. I was punched in the face and scratched by a confused patient stuck in a hallway bed. I was fearful for my physical safety in behavioral health with an extremely violent patient and no sitter available. I was sexually groped by a patient who did the same to six other female staff. Unfortunately, these incidents are almost a daily thing at this point.”
California: “Verbal assaults on a nearly daily basis. Lots of hitting, kicking, scratching. Management does nothing but tell us to fill out a workplace violence incident report. All this does is add an alert to the patient chart, which shows they have a history of violence (whether verbal or physical). However, they do nothing to help protect us or prevent it from happening again. It’s all just part of being a nurse. Even the workplace violence training is aimed at protecting yourself from physical abuse (how to minimize the amount of injury occurred), not how to prevent it.”
While nurses and aides are the most likely to experience violence in the workplace, no healthcare workers are immune to these experiences.
Rates of workplace violence tend to be higher in emergency departments, psychiatric facilities, substance abuse facilities, and home healthcare settings. Some violence even escalates to homicide.
An article from the American College of Surgeons quoted Jay J. Doucet, MD, director of the trauma division at the University of California (UC) San Diego Health. “Surgeons being assaulted, battered, or killed is a fairly new phenomenon within civilian hospitals. We’ve had six surgeons killed in the last few years.”
Workplace violence in health care settings has additional consequences besides physical injuries and death, such as psychological distress, lower worker well-being, decreased job satisfaction, increased turnover rates, and compromised patient care quality.
One of the most troubling patterns is normalization. Many injured healthcare workers hesitate to report incidents or file claims because they’ve been conditioned to believe violence is simply part of the job. It is not. It is an escalating problem that demands attention.
Healthcare employers and employees can do their part to decrease violence.
Effective measures include:
- Proper staffing ratios
- De-escalation training
- Security presence in high-risk areas
- Clear reporting systems
- Flagging and tracking violent behavior
- Environmental design (panic buttons, controlled access points)
- A zero-tolerance mindset to violence
Employees affected by workplace violence need to:
- Report every incident
- Document everything
- Don’t assume you have to handle it alone
- Seek medical attention, even for “minor” injuries – and file a workers’ compensation claim
The workers’ compensation claim will document the results of workplace violence, and provide an avenue for recovery. Claims can cover:
- Medical treatment (including surgeries, therapy, and medications)
- Lost wages during recovery
- Permanent disability benefits
- Psychological injuries such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression
Report your workers’ compensation claim immediately. Being in a caregiving profession does not mean surrendering your right to a safe workplace. If you have been injured at work by violence in your workplace, call Putnam Law today.
