Other Titles

Proposal For Implementing a Behavioral Response Team (BRT) to Reduce Workplace Violence [Title Slide]

Other Titles

Rapid Presentation Round

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluate the impact of current standard practice on workplace violence (WPV). Evaluate the workers' compensation claims from WPV. Develop a proposal for implementing a Behavioral Response or Consulting Team (BRT) among staff in a tertiary-level inpatient hospital.

Relevance/Significance: The most common type of workplace violence (WPV) in a healthcare setting is violence from patients and visitors toward healthcare staff (AHRQ, 2023). A nationwide survey of 1,000 registered nurses found that eight in 10 nurses experienced workplace violence in 2023 (NNU, 2024). The study aims to identify the current standard practice that affects the incidence of workplace violence over two years among staff in a tertiary-level inpatient hospital.

Strategy and Implementation: SWOT analysis identifies the BRT project’s implementation strengths and opportunities. The availability of BRT consisting of competent, licensed, and psychiatrically trained team members during acute events is a unique, innovative idea to address growing workplace violence incidents in inpatient hospital settings. Successful implementation of a BRT is measured through decreased workers' compensation claims, positive post-implementation staff surveys, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) indicators, and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores/harmful events examine performance measurements of the overall hospital safety rating, assault/injury rates, and restraint prevalence.

Evaluation/Outcomes: Despite having a workplace policy, a violence prevention committee, and a reporting system to address workplace violence incidents. There was an increase in workplace violence events reported on inpatient units from 156 to 169 workplace violence events reported from 2022 to 2023. There was an increase in workplace violence injuries reported in inpatient units from 96 to 151 from 2022 to 2023. The total missed days of work in 2022 were 1677, and 1223 in 2023. Costs of workplace violence injuries that resulted in workers’ compensation claims for 2022 and 2023 cost at a tertiary-level inpatient hospital, range from $512,952 to $3,793,200.

Implications for Practice: Implementing a BRT would positively influence increasing patient satisfaction scores, decreasing overtime, staff workplace injuries, and workers’ compensation claims, and increasing staff morale, staff satisfaction, retention, and a safe work environment.

Notes

Presenter notes available in attached slide deck.

Reference list included in attached slide deck.

Description

Evaluating and Addressing Workplace Violence (WPV): Strategies for a Safer Healthcare Environment are designed to provide valuable insights and actionable solutions. It includes the impact of current standard practices on WPV and workers' compensation claims analysis.

Target audience: healthcare workers committed to creating a safer and more supportive work environment.

Author Details

Bini K. John, PhD, CMSRN; Jesse Cozzetti, MSN, CMSRN  

Sigma Membership

Kappa Gamma

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Academic-Clinical Partnership, Interprofessional/Interdisciplinary, Interprofessional Initiatives, Violence in the Workplace, Prevention of Violence in the Workplace, Work Environment, Interprofessional Relations, Interprofessional Collaboration, Institutional Cooperation, Rapid Response Teams, Behavioral Response Team

Conference Name

Creating Healthy Work Environments

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Washington, DC, USA

Conference Year

2026

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. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2026-04-30

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Evaluating and Addressing Workplace Violence: Strategies for a Safer Healthcare Environment

Washington, DC, USA

Purpose: Evaluate the impact of current standard practice on workplace violence (WPV). Evaluate the workers' compensation claims from WPV. Develop a proposal for implementing a Behavioral Response or Consulting Team (BRT) among staff in a tertiary-level inpatient hospital.

Relevance/Significance: The most common type of workplace violence (WPV) in a healthcare setting is violence from patients and visitors toward healthcare staff (AHRQ, 2023). A nationwide survey of 1,000 registered nurses found that eight in 10 nurses experienced workplace violence in 2023 (NNU, 2024). The study aims to identify the current standard practice that affects the incidence of workplace violence over two years among staff in a tertiary-level inpatient hospital.

Strategy and Implementation: SWOT analysis identifies the BRT project’s implementation strengths and opportunities. The availability of BRT consisting of competent, licensed, and psychiatrically trained team members during acute events is a unique, innovative idea to address growing workplace violence incidents in inpatient hospital settings. Successful implementation of a BRT is measured through decreased workers' compensation claims, positive post-implementation staff surveys, the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) indicators, and Leapfrog Hospital Safety Scores/harmful events examine performance measurements of the overall hospital safety rating, assault/injury rates, and restraint prevalence.

Evaluation/Outcomes: Despite having a workplace policy, a violence prevention committee, and a reporting system to address workplace violence incidents. There was an increase in workplace violence events reported on inpatient units from 156 to 169 workplace violence events reported from 2022 to 2023. There was an increase in workplace violence injuries reported in inpatient units from 96 to 151 from 2022 to 2023. The total missed days of work in 2022 were 1677, and 1223 in 2023. Costs of workplace violence injuries that resulted in workers’ compensation claims for 2022 and 2023 cost at a tertiary-level inpatient hospital, range from $512,952 to $3,793,200.

Implications for Practice: Implementing a BRT would positively influence increasing patient satisfaction scores, decreasing overtime, staff workplace injuries, and workers’ compensation claims, and increasing staff morale, staff satisfaction, retention, and a safe work environment.