Aria-Jefferson Health: Developing Strategies to Prevent Workplace Violence

Violent incidents carried out by patients or their families against healthcare workers have exploded in number during recent decades and continue to increase. This case highlights the dilemma of a healthcare manager responding to a violent attack at her organization. Hence, questions arise as to violence prevention issues, such as what is the impact on employees and the organization from workplace violence in the healthcare setting? What is the difference in organizational culture and climate, and what does each have to do with violence prevention? How would a violence prevention climate affect employee behavior? What would be the outcomes of developing such a climate? Why have traditional approaches to preventing workplace violence failed? What steps should a healthcare worker take to develop an effective violence protection climate at a facility? What can be done by an employee to institute meaningful and lasting change?