Hospital workplace violence is a public health emergency. Why is no one listening?
Becker's Healthcare December 4, 2024
As many of us scroll through our favorite news app, we are greeted by reports of workplace violence, from verbal and physical confrontations to fatal shootings. What is often missing from the headlines are stories of the increasingly high frequency of workplace assaults suffered by health care professionals across the country.
The data is alarming and demands greater public attention. The American Hospital Association reports that health care facilities face more incidents of violence and injury than any other work environment. Since the pandemic, it’s gotten worse: 44% of nurses report an increase in physical violence and 68% report an increase in verbal abuse.
Figures from the American College of Emergency Physicians are particularly shocking. Hospital emergency departments, by nature,...