The South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) is hearing reports of workplace violence taking place in member facilities across South Dakota. 1 in 4 nurses report being physically assaulted and this comes with the realization that workplace violence is underreported, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Workplace violence standards were created in January of 2022 to help facilities create a safer work environment. Consider taking the following steps.
- Agree as an organization on what workplace violence means and includes.
- Action cannot be taken until everyone is on the same page. This also helps others understand what should be reported and what will not be tolerated.
- Establish a culture of safety, starting with a reporting system that is easily accessible to staff.
- This will encourage reporting and allow the gathering of usable data, specific to the organization.
- Build a team to assist in creating policies and procedures.
- Input from multiple employees and disciplines within the organization is important as everyone will not have the same experiences or perspectives.
- Deploy hospital-wide training and resources.
- This should reach all staff, including new hires and on a continued basis to support non-tolerance of workplace violence within the organization.
- Annually review the workplace violence prevention program within the organization to maintain integrity and update as needed.
To read the full article posted by the SDAHO Quality and Integration Team, Click here.
Watch the workplace violence video here.
