Workplace Violence

Since conflict among employees may erupt in violence companies need to address the causes. Companies need to put in place prevention plan and policies for dealing with incidents of workplace violence.

Each day thousands of employees are subject to threats, harassment, intimidation, and verbal or physical attacks. According to OSHA, workplace homicide is the leading cause of death for women and the 2nd leading cause of death for men. This growing problem has mangers as well as employees uneasy about their safety at work. It also has employers concerned about the tremendous liability associated with incidents of workplace violence. Therefore, it would be beneficial to employers, managers and employees to have some knowledge of workplace violence. Additionally, employers have a legal and moral obligation to provide a safe working environment for their employees.

Workplace violence is the main issue in the United States expressed influencing a large number of American consistently. Working environment violence is any demonstration or danger of physical savagery, provocation, terrorizing, or other undermining problematic conduct that happens at the work site. It ranges from dangers and verbal mishandle to physical ambushes and even murder. It can influence and include workers, customers, nurses, patient, clients, and guests. Workplace violence can be discovered anywhere in every field we may accept the fact that it can happen in our workplace too, but the fewer people speak which is encouraging these criminals to prepare of making more atrocity. The occupational safety and health organization (OSHA) have created rules and suggestions to decrease laborer presentation to this deplorable scourge but still many people are being victimized their hands are tied up mouths are taped out to face the reality of what they are living through (OSHA 2015). OSHA’s paradigm incorporates the following elements: management commitment and employee involvement, hazard analysis or assessment, hazard controls, employee training, and recordkeeping and evaluation (McPhaul, London, & Lipscomb, 2013). As mentioned, these elements are basic guidelines in constructing a program, but more specific measures are needed to address specific precursors that contribute to the occurrence of violence and bullying. This would assist in forming the best strategies to remedy workplace violence and incivility.

The NYP policy is to promote a safe environment for all our employees to maintain a work environment that is free from violence, harassment, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior.

Scenario #3 is the one that I will be discussing for this case study. Conflicts will arise no matter where you work, it is almost impossible to avoid them. No two people think exactly the same and it is important to communicate to minimize conflict but embrace and learn from situations when they arise. Conflicts should never be left unresolved as people can grow significantly frustrated and the results can be deadly. Workplace violence has happened many times in the past and scenario #3 could possibly result in such from either the workers or their loved ones. Scenario #3 discusses an SVP, named Robert, who is being completely unprofessional in dealing with his employees. I will seek to investigate and understand the root of the problem, along with giving recommendations to my boss as a result of my investigation.

This paper will discuss workplace policy on violence, policy analysis, and interview to a DNP prepared nurse on workplace violence. Organizational stressor is one of the many factors that can contribute to workplace violence. This factors include, inadequate staffing, emotional exhaustion, long working hours, or lateral violence. According to Raynolds, Kelly, & Singh-Carson, 2014) lateral violence is the act that transpires between peers or nurse-to-nurse where verbal abuse, aggression, incivility, or bullying occurs. Health care settings should be places that perpetuate tranquility, respectful and collaborative environment. Hence, a work place where the environment is positive and safe denotes that the principle of non-maleficence exists (Morrison, 2011). Given to this, the writer conducted an interview with a professional colleague; Doctor Sarah Oba to get her opinion pertaining to work place violence against nurses and

OSHA Fact Sheet (2012) states “ workplace violence is a violence or the threat of violence against workers” (p.1). Workplace violence causes serious harm to employees or homicide that can lead to deaths. Act in any kind of shapes and forms such as: physical threat, threatening behavior, intention of assault and battery, verbal abuse, beating, stabbing, rape, shooting, being followed, psychological trauma, suicide, treat or obscene phone call/text, intimidation. Workplace violence can happen to anyone, anywhere at or outside the workplace location either during from/to work or from/to client’s traveling temporary or permanent where any work-related duty performances. It is not limited to just employees, but also customers, clients, and invitees. Workplace violence is one of the most concerns for not just employers, but worldwide workers.

Imagine a violent situation escalates in your work area. Violent workplace situations are becoming more common in today’s work environment. While many of these events seemingly happen in the civilian sector, workplace violence is a current issue in the United States Air Force. Incidents involving fatalities in Myrtle Beach, McGuire, Fairchild, and the Air Force Academy illustrate that all members play a vital role in recognizing potentially violent situations. So while the definition of workplace violence is subject to interpretation, the impact to the workplace quite clear, and the proactive steps taken to prevent and diffuse these situations have huge social and economic benefits.

Workplace violence (WPV) has the potential to affect every job in the United States. The growing problem deserves attention and needs to be mended. Compared to other businesses, those who work in healthcare are five times more likely to become victims of WPV (Arnetz et al., 2015). While it is true that every healthcare worker has the potential for being a victim, the nursing profession is the most frequently targeted hospital personnel of verbal and physical violence (Kynoch, Wu, & Chang, 2011). Close and consistent proximately to patients puts nurses in the direct path of potentially violent situations. The emergency department (ED) is a specifically vulnerable area where nurses are targeted. Patients and visitors are both culprits of aggression

Unfortunately, workplace violence is all too familiar for most these days. Most think of violence as some sort of physical altercation. However, it’s not only physical, but includes threatening and endangering behavior towards one, or a group of employees. In fact, you may be surprised by some of the actions that are included in workplace violence. Some that you may not think of, but they include and are not limited to: harassment, intimidation, extortion and threats. Obviously, things like assault, kidnapping, homicide, etc… Nearly two million people are involved or victims of workplace violence every year. In the United States, violence is measured with fatal and non-fatal statistics. Violence has surpassed accidental death as the leading

Recent events in Hawaii have made both employers and employees more aware of workplace violence and they are getting more concerned regarding their personal safety.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) describes workplace violence as any physical assault, intimidating behavior or verbal abuse transpiring in the workplace. Workplace violence in healthcare settings, more specifically patients violence towards nurses, has become quite common or even “accepted” throughout the years as sometimes patients express aggression toward those entrusted with providing their care. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2014 35% to 80% of hospital staff reported being victim of at least one assault during their career (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). Furthermore, a study done by Gunaydin & Kutlu (2012) reported that fewer than 50% of nurses who were victims of patient violence reported their assault, as many believe it is common and that it “comes with the job.” (p. 5). According to the International Council of Nurses, “healthcare workers are more likely to be attacked at work than prison guards and police officers; Contributing factors include a patient’s mental or physical status, stress, environmental conditions such as overcrowded waiting rooms, poor communication with nurse and so on (ICN, 2010).

In Understand & Report the Signs of Workplace Violence, we discuss the warning signs of workplace violence

When looking as to why males are more likely to be victimized than females at the workplace, there are a number of factors as to why it occurs. Going back from a few chapters it explained the phenomena already. Males having a higher rate of physical, and or violent victimization than women. Women are more likely to be sexually victimized than men being sexually assaulted. This tread would of course carry over to workplace incidents. Age also playing a role as well. The findings being young males between the ages of 20 to 34 having higher rates of workplace violent victimization. This is compared to ones who are significantly much order. Being of marital status now, or before in the form of a widow.

Workplace violence (WPV) is defined as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site” (OSHA, n.d., para. 1). For the nursing profession these threats include the following sources: nurse to nurse, patient to nurse, relatives to nurse, other health professionals to nurse. WPV happens in all healthcare settings, however some units are known to have higher incidences than others. One healthcare setting that is well known for having high incidences of patient to nurse violence is the ED. Factors that contribute to the increase of WPV in the ED include: long wait times, patients with mental disorders, patients who have a history of violence, and patients