Violence in the Workplace Lecture Powerpoint

Question 1

Workplace violence definition

Answer 1

Any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site, can range from verbal abuse and threats of abuse to physical assault or homicide, can affect/involve other employees, patients, visitors, contractors, etc, occurs in variety of settings from hospitals to outpatient clinics etc

Question 2

Healthcare providers represent over ___ of nonfatal workplace violence despite only representing 10% of the US workforce

Answer 2

1/2

Question 3

Harassment definition

Answer 3

Any behavior that demeans, embarasses, humiliates, annoys, alarms, or verbally abuses a person that is knwon or would be expected to be unwelcome

Question 4

Discrimination definition

Answer 4

Unfair treatment of employee based on factors such as age, gender, race, sex orientation, etc

Question 5

Threatening behavior definition

Answer 5

Includes things such as gestures (shaking fists), throwing, destroying physical property, etc

Question 6

4 types of workplace violence

Answer 6

I - no association with the workplace (robbery of the facility from a person with criminal intent)
II - customer or patient (assaulting a provider who does not provide narcotics)
III - current or former employee (worker on worker shooting)
IV - Personal relationship with employee only (not organization, for example domestic violence)

Question 7

Adverse effects to the individual (4) and the organization (3) of workplace violence

Answer 7

• fear to return to work, trauma, guilt, powerless

- Increased costs in security and property, negative publicity

Question 8

Risk factors for workplace violence (6)

Answer 8

• working with patients with history of violence
• working alone or understaffed
• working in neighborhoods with high crime rates
• lack of emergency communication
• prevalence of weapons
• inadequate security on site

Question 9

Culture of acceptance regarding workplace violence

Answer 9

Healthcare has often come to accept violence as “just part of the job” leading to underreporting of incidents of workplace violence, overwhelming majority do not formally report,

Question 10

Prevention of workplace violence (4)

Answer 10

• zero tolerance policy
• discussion needs to include employees
• practice scenarios ahead of time
• de-escalation techniques for violent behavior

Question 11

If an incident occurs involving workplace violence…. (4)

Answer 11

• ensure others are safe
• provide first aid and emergency care
• report to appropriate authority
• investigate root cause