A recent American Hospital Association report found hospitals are making strides in patient safety and infection prevention, but are still working towards making a safer work environment for staff.
AHA conducted focused discussions on quality issues over three months as part of a program that launched in April 2023 and included 104 leaders. The discussions identified three areas where hospitals excelled and three where more improvement is needed.
Leaders indicated that workplace safety is a top priority in 2024 and that they are taking a number of actions to prevent violence. Here are strategies for success that have worked across systems and some areas where systems are trying to do better.
Success areas
Survey frontline staff.
Build alliances on workplace violence.
Create and update policies.
Use technology support.
Provide staff training and education.
Communicate and coordinate with the local police department.
Areas of improvement
Reduce injuries to staff and others.
Improve treatment time.
Implement a behavioral intervention response team.
Use the Broset violence checklist.
Conduct annual workplace violence risk assessment across all shifts and departments.