Introduction
Healthcare and social service workers face a high risk of job-related violence. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), workplace violence is defined as “violent acts (including physical assaults and threats of assaults) directed toward persons at work or on duty.”
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that in 2018, healthcare workers accounted for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses caused by violence. That same year, healthcare and social service employees experienced 20 of the 453 workplace fatalities due to violence. The most common perpetrators in workplace homicides of healthcare workers were relatives or domestic partners of the victim.
Case Reports: Workplace Violence in Healthcare
- An elderly patient verbally abused a nurse and pulled her hair after she prevented him from leaving the hospital in the middle of the night.
- An agitated psychotic patient attacked a nurse, resulting in a broken arm, scratches, and bruises.
- A disturbed family member, upset over the death of his father during surgery, entered the emergency department and fired a handgun, killing a nurse and an emergency medical technician and wounding the emergency physician.
Workplace violence in hospitals differs from other industries. While violence in workplaces such as convenience stores or taxi services is often related to robbery, hospital violence is usually patient- or family-related, stemming from feelings of frustration, vulnerability, and loss of control.