Joint Commission launches healthcare violence resource center
The Joint Commission this month launched a digital resource center aimed at reducing workplace violence in healthcare settings. The Workplace Violence Prevention Resources site was created in response to a number of healthcare organizations and providers telling the accreditor about the high levels of verbal, written, and physical abuse leveled against patients and healthcare workers.
“Workers in healthcare are five times more likely to be victims of nonfatal assaults or violent acts than the average worker in all other occupations, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” says Ann Scott Blouin, RN, PhD, FACHE, executive vice president of customer relations at The Joint Commission, in a press release. “As a result, it is critical that we share key resources with those in the healthcare community to help them prepare for and address, as well as hopefully prevent, this type of unfortunate situation from taking place.”
The resource center gathers materials from federal and state agencies, professional associations, healthcare organizations, and The Joint Commission. The library is an easy-to-use source for workplace violence prevention and preparedness; with policies, procedures, guidelines, research, case studies, white papers, and toolkits available for use. Topics include:
• Violent and criminal event preparedness and prevention
• Active shooter situations
• Workplace safety measures
• Behavioral threat management
• Emergency operations planning
• Rudeness and bullying