Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/704847
Health and Safety with National Nurses United 14 What are the Risk Factors for Violence? • Working when understaffed — especially during meal times and visiting hours and transporting patients. • Working directly with volatile people, especially if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or have a history of violence or certain psychotic diagnoses. • Working alone in remote locations, or in high-crime settings with no back-up or means of obtaining assis- tance, such as communication devices or alarm systems. • Overcrowded, uncomfortable waiting rooms and long waits for service. • Poor environmental design. • Inadequate security. • Nurses are among the most assaulted workers in the American workforce. • Nearly 500,000 nurses become victims of violence in their workplace each year. • Healthcare workers are five times more likely to be the victim of assault than all other major industries combined. • The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that 48 percent of all non-fatal injuries from occupa- tional assaults and violent acts occurred in healthcare and social services settings. • Violence may also have negative organizational outcomes such as low worker morale, increased job stress, increased worker turnover, reduced trust of management and coworkers, and a hostile working environment. • From 2008 to 2012, there was a nearly 300 percent increase in the number of reported homicides, assaults, and rapes in hospitals compared to the previous five years. Workplace Violence Protections Threats to the health and safety of nurses are threats to the entire community. Violent assaults against healthcare workers are inexcusable, yet rising to epidemic proportions. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to be the victim of assault than workers in other industries. Federal injury data show that the rate of workplace violence at health- care facilities is high and the severity is intensifying, and that many injuries can be prevented or mitigated through workplace violence prevention programs. NNU is fighting to enact strong and effective workplace violence protections. A Workplace Violence Crisis: Nurses on the Front Lines