Safety Tips for Hospital Workers
Watch for signals that may be associated with impending violence:
- verbally expressed anger and frustration
- body language such as threatening gestures
- signs of drug or alcohol use
- presence of a weapon
Watch for signals that may be associated with impending violence.
Maintain behavior that helps diffuse anger:
- Present a calm, caring attitude.
- Don't match the threats.
- Don't give orders.
- Acknowledge the person's feelings (for example, "I know you are frustrated").
- Avoid any behavior that may be interpreted as aggressive (for example, moving rapidly, getting too close, touching, or speaking loudly).
Be alert:
- Evaluate each situation for potential violence when you enter a room or begin to relate to a patient or visitor.
- Be vigilant throughout the encounter.
- Don't isolate yourself with a potentially violent person.
- Always keep an open path for exiting-don't let the potentially violent person stand between you and the door.
Take these steps if you can't defuse the situation quickly:
- Remove yourself from the situation.
- Call security for help.
- Report any violent incidents to your management.
Case Reports: Prevention Strategies That Have Worked
- A security screening system in a Detroit hospital included stationary metal detectors supplemented by hand-held units. The system prevented the entry of 33 handguns, 1,324 knives, and 97 mace-type sprays for six months.
- A violence reporting program in the Portland, Oregon, VA Medical Center identified patients with a history of violence in a computerized database. The program helped reduce the number of all violent attacks by 91.6% by alerting staff to take additional safety measures when serving these patients.
- A system restricting the movement of visitors in a New York City hospital used identification badges and color-coded passes to limit each visitor to a specific floor. The hospital also enforced the limit of two visitors at a time per patient. Over 18 months, these actions reduced the number of reported violent crimes by 65%.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-10. A patient is in the exam room with her boyfriend, waiting for the doctor to return with some forms. The boyfriend then starts screaming and threatening the nurse on staff. If staff members cannot stop the violent behavior, the nurse should _____.
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