Other Titles

Leading Change to Prevent Workplace Violence [Title Slide]

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to enhance nurses’ knowledge and evaluate parts of the current workplace violence prevention program. Learning objective: participants will gain strategies to engage nurses in workplace violence prevention.

Healthcare workers are 5 times more likely to experience an injury from workplace violence than other professions. According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (TCNWS) 2022 employer Nurse Staffing Study: Workplace Violence Against Nurses survey workplace violence awareness training was the most common training provided. De-escalation training was cited as an effective workplace violence strategy (TCNWS, 2022).

As part of a comprehensive plan to implement workplace violence prevention measures a series of educational events were planned, these classes were above and beyond de-escalation training. Labeled as L.E.A.D events (Leadership Education Advancement Development) the offerings were open to any nurse and other hospital leaders. Beginning in Fall of 2022, a L.E.A.D. event was held twice a year, once in Spring and once in Fall. Various learner engagement strategies were implemented, including simulation, case studies, roundtable discussions, storytelling and escape rooms.

The L.E.A.D. events broached various topics such as evaluation of current policies and applying the policy to a case study, then sharing the discussion with the other attendees. Working in teams the attendees identified policy gaps and outdated information. The activity engaged leaders and direct care nurses in the process of policy development. Other topics have included crucial conversations, applying de-escalation techniques to escape rooms, round table discussion with legal counsel, district attorney and police chief, legislative updates from the state nursing association, shared experiences from those who have experienced violence in the workplace, the neurobiology of trauma, communications with special populations. To date a total of five L.E.A.D. activities have been offered and evaluations have been positive. Learners have voiced their appreciation of the engagement strategies.

Outcomes: There were a total of 211 nurse attendees and a total of 137 non-nurse attendees for the five L.E.A.D. events. All policies related to workplace violence were reviewed and updated or archived.

Notes

References:

Chesire, D. J., McIntosh, A., Hendrickson, S., Jones, P., & McIntosh, M. (2022). Dimensions of hospital workplace violence: Patient violence towards the healthcare team. Journal of clinical nursing, 31(11-12), 1662–1668. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16021

Knowles, M. (1990). The Adult Learner: Neglected Species. Gulf Pub Co.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (n.d.) Healthcare: Workplace Violence retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/healthcare/workplace-violence

Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (2022). 2022 Employer Nurse Staffing Study: Workplace Violence Against Nurses. Retrieved from https://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/chs/cnws/Workplace%20Violence/2022_WPVAN_Report.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/iif/factsheets/workplace-violence-2021-2022.htm

Description

As part of a comprehensive plan to implement workplace violence prevention measures a series of biannual educational events were offered. Participants attending this session will gain strategies to engage nurses in workplace violence prevention.

Author Details

Rebekah Powers DNP, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC; Nancy Ornelas LVN; Carol Boswell Ed.D, RN CNE, ANEF, FAAN; Christina Ramdeo, MSN, RN, CNOR

Sigma Membership

Delta Kappa

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Acute Care, lncivility, Workforce, Clinical Practice, Workplace Culture, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Prevention

Conference Name

48th Biennial Convention

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Indianapolis, Indiana, 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. 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

2025-12-04

Funder(s)

Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies

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L.E.A.Ding Change to Prevent Workplace Violence

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

The purpose of this project was to enhance nurses’ knowledge and evaluate parts of the current workplace violence prevention program. Learning objective: participants will gain strategies to engage nurses in workplace violence prevention.

Healthcare workers are 5 times more likely to experience an injury from workplace violence than other professions. According to the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (TCNWS) 2022 employer Nurse Staffing Study: Workplace Violence Against Nurses survey workplace violence awareness training was the most common training provided. De-escalation training was cited as an effective workplace violence strategy (TCNWS, 2022).

As part of a comprehensive plan to implement workplace violence prevention measures a series of educational events were planned, these classes were above and beyond de-escalation training. Labeled as L.E.A.D events (Leadership Education Advancement Development) the offerings were open to any nurse and other hospital leaders. Beginning in Fall of 2022, a L.E.A.D. event was held twice a year, once in Spring and once in Fall. Various learner engagement strategies were implemented, including simulation, case studies, roundtable discussions, storytelling and escape rooms.

The L.E.A.D. events broached various topics such as evaluation of current policies and applying the policy to a case study, then sharing the discussion with the other attendees. Working in teams the attendees identified policy gaps and outdated information. The activity engaged leaders and direct care nurses in the process of policy development. Other topics have included crucial conversations, applying de-escalation techniques to escape rooms, round table discussion with legal counsel, district attorney and police chief, legislative updates from the state nursing association, shared experiences from those who have experienced violence in the workplace, the neurobiology of trauma, communications with special populations. To date a total of five L.E.A.D. activities have been offered and evaluations have been positive. Learners have voiced their appreciation of the engagement strategies.

Outcomes: There were a total of 211 nurse attendees and a total of 137 non-nurse attendees for the five L.E.A.D. events. All policies related to workplace violence were reviewed and updated or archived.