Abstract
Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a multifaceted problem and must be addressed using various strategies. Engaging nurses and providing opportunities for professional dialogue about workplace violence. The creation of innovative ways to reduce or eliminate workplace violence was the goal of this project.
Interventions
Using grant funds awarded, the team embarked on a 2-year journey to identify and mitigate workplace violence against nurses. The team formed a workplace violence prevention committee which included nurses from various areas of the hospital, implemented educational activities, reviewed hospital policies, re-issued ID badges to not include last names, provided de-escalation training, completed an OSHA assessment of the organization, published hospital newsletter articles on workplace violence prevention committee activities, created a code of conduct for patients and families, completed 3 IRB approved surveys of hospital staff and their workplace violence experiences.
Outcomes
Nursing engagement was accomplished, and great input into current process, problems experienced and solutions to issues was accomplished
A total of 326 nurses attended de-escalation training,
Seven educational activities were offered to nurses. The activities had a total of 283 nurse attendees.
217 Nurses participated in survey one, 228 nurses participated in survey two, and 136 nurses participated in survey number three.
Reported disturbances/incidents did not decrease during the project, but rather increased.
Lessons Learned
While an overarching goal was to reduce the number of police calls and reported disturbances, the numbers increased. As nursing staff were interviewed, it was discovered that with the additional knowledge concerning the process to access the police officers along with their available resources, staff were more willing to report the incidence, thereby increasing the number of reports
De-escalation training was found to need to be individualized to meet the needs of the nurses and have a clearly outlined sustainability plan. Remind nurses tools are there to prevent escalation of a situation and calling for help does not need to only happen when violence occurs.
Hospital polices need to be easily accessible to nurses on the patient care units.
Reports of workplace violence incidents should be reported and communication with the person who submits report need to be closed.
Notes
References: Kumari, A., Sarkar, S., Ranjan, P., Chopra, S., Kaur, T., Baitha, U., Chakrawarty, A., & Klanidhi, K. B. (2022). Interventions for workplace violence against health-care professionals: A systematic review. Work (Reading, Mass.), 73(2), 415–427. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-210046
Taylor, M, (2023, February 8). 3 Texas hospital staff members injured in alleged assault. Retrieved from https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/3-texas-hospital-staff-members-injured-in-alleged-assault.html
Texas Department of State Health Services (2022). 2022 Hospital Nurse Staffing Study: Rural and Critical Access Hospitals retrieved from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/chs/cnws/HNSS/2022/2022_HNSS_RuralCAH_accessible.pdf
Texas Health and Human Services, (2019). Workplace violence against nurses survey. Retrieved from: https://dshs.texas.gov/chs/cnws/WorkforceReports/2018_WPVAN.pdf
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (2017). Workplace Violence. Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/workplaceviolence/
Wirth, T., Peters, C., Nienhaus, A., & Schablon, A. (2021). Interventions for Workplace Violence Prevention in Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(16), 8459. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168459
Sigma Membership
Delta Kappa
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Acute Care, lncivility, Workforce
Recommended Citation
Powers, Rebekah; Boswell, Carol A.; Ornelas, Nancy; and Ramdeo, Christina S., "Engaging Nurses to Prevent Workplace Violence" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 104.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/104
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Engaging Nurses to Prevent Workplace Violence
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a multifaceted problem and must be addressed using various strategies. Engaging nurses and providing opportunities for professional dialogue about workplace violence. The creation of innovative ways to reduce or eliminate workplace violence was the goal of this project.
Interventions
Using grant funds awarded, the team embarked on a 2-year journey to identify and mitigate workplace violence against nurses. The team formed a workplace violence prevention committee which included nurses from various areas of the hospital, implemented educational activities, reviewed hospital policies, re-issued ID badges to not include last names, provided de-escalation training, completed an OSHA assessment of the organization, published hospital newsletter articles on workplace violence prevention committee activities, created a code of conduct for patients and families, completed 3 IRB approved surveys of hospital staff and their workplace violence experiences.
Outcomes
Nursing engagement was accomplished, and great input into current process, problems experienced and solutions to issues was accomplished
A total of 326 nurses attended de-escalation training,
Seven educational activities were offered to nurses. The activities had a total of 283 nurse attendees.
217 Nurses participated in survey one, 228 nurses participated in survey two, and 136 nurses participated in survey number three.
Reported disturbances/incidents did not decrease during the project, but rather increased.
Lessons Learned
While an overarching goal was to reduce the number of police calls and reported disturbances, the numbers increased. As nursing staff were interviewed, it was discovered that with the additional knowledge concerning the process to access the police officers along with their available resources, staff were more willing to report the incidence, thereby increasing the number of reports
De-escalation training was found to need to be individualized to meet the needs of the nurses and have a clearly outlined sustainability plan. Remind nurses tools are there to prevent escalation of a situation and calling for help does not need to only happen when violence occurs.
Hospital polices need to be easily accessible to nurses on the patient care units.
Reports of workplace violence incidents should be reported and communication with the person who submits report need to be closed.
Description
A team worked to engage nurses in workplace violence prevention. The team encouraged engagement in policy review, educational sessions, committee membership, and reporting of workplace violence incidents. The presentation will share the outcomes of this two-year project.