Violence against medical staff is on the rise in the US. The circumstances, sources, and types of violent behavior vary — everything from verbal threats to deadly shootings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 50 percent of all workplace assaults occur in health care settings and some studies​ put the number even higher. While most health care-related incidents occur in hospital emergency departments or on psychiatric wards, violent acts and threats can happen in any care setting and caregivers are increasingly concerned for their safety. 

 

In response to this situation, The Joint Commission​, the American Hospital Association​, the American Nurses Association​, the American Medical Association​​, and other major health care organizations are developing new violence-prevention resources, highlighting health systems with notable programs and solutions. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston is one such organization and joined us on WIHI to share the solutions they've developed on this episode of WIHI: Workplace Violence in Health Care Can't Be the Norm