Workplace Violence Essay

Workplace violence is present in every nook and cranny of corporate America, affecting millions of Americans every year. Workplace violence is defined by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, OSHA, as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. In 2011, there were over 2 two million reports and claims of workplace violence, with 458 being homicides1. Workplace violence is at the forefront of everyone’s mind when a breaking news story is broadcast on the evening news, such as the recent shootings in Santa Cruz, California by a disgruntled ex-cop, and the

Harassment has plagued the world for centuries. Why should the workplace be any different? Sexual harassment and workplace violence are not only of historical roots, but contemporary issues are still present in the workforce today. Managers are addressing and combating modern sexual harassment and workplace violence, however instances still occur (Robbins, Decenzo & Coulter, 2011).

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.

Which of the following statements BEST defines how current legislative approaches define workplace violence and aggression?

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 purpose of this review was to discover and asses the effects of healthcare worker directed violence on healthcare providers as well as the effect on patient care. There is sufficient evidence to say that workplace violence perpetrated by patients has a negative effect on the healthcare worker as well as the quality of care they are

Workplace violence occurs due to an interpersonal conflict between two or more people that results from differences in their needs, ideas, goals, interests, or values (Marquis and Huston, 2015). Workplace violence is not limited to physical violence; it also includes negative activities such as bulling, verbal abuse, pranking, negative insinuations, gossiping, insubordination, and withholding information (Latham, Ringl, & Hogan, 2013). Research suggests that more than 80 % nurses experience workplace violence at some point in their working careers (Frederick, 2014). New graduate nurses are especially susceptible to workplace violence because they are usually unprepared to deal with it, and they are more likely to leave the profession due to workplace violence (Frederick, 2014). Townsend (2012) reported that 70 % of nurses, who experienced bullying at the workplace, leave their jobs, and 60 % of new graduate nurses quit their jobs within first six months of being bullied (as cited in Marquis & Huston, 2015). Workplace violence is an important leadership issue to address because it affects turnover rates, productivity, patient safety, and overall quality of care (Marquis & Huston, 2015).

Sustained exposure to violence in the workplace including aggression, abuse, and bullying can have serious physical and psychological consequences, causing some nurses to consider leaving the profession. Workplace violence, including disruptive physician behaviour, also results in decreased patient safety. Clearly, violence against nurses is an important issue among nurses, their patients and the nursing profession at large ( RNAO, iaBPGR, 2009 p.30). Likewise, the ICN report revealed that 75 per cent of nurses do not feel safe from assault in their workplace and up to 95 per cent reported having been bullied at work ( ICN,2001.p. 3).

Lateral violence in nursing is a topic that is beginning to attract a lot of attention. One study showed that the higher the incidence of workplace incivility, the lower the rate of productivity (Leiws, 2011, p. 44). Others have shown a correlation in the occurrence of lateral violence and decreased productivity and increased turnover, making this an important issue to address in the field of nursing (Ostrofsky, 2012, p. 20).

Several models and concepts arose in preventative measures to workplace violence in nursing. One conceptual model, according to Covert Crime at Work, is “a conceptual model derived from 370 surveys show working conditions conducive to bullying, thus helping to identify risks early and to prevent unhealthy environments from developing.” After recognition of these research and studies, organizations such as Occupations Safety and Hazard Association, American Nurses Associations, and etc, have implemented guidelines to prevent workplace violence in nursing.

Park, M., Cho, S., & Hong, H. (2014). Prevalence and perpetrators of workplace violence by nursing unit and the relationship between violence and the perceived work environment. Journal of nursing scholarship, 47(1), 87-95. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12112

Violence in the workplace is something that has been around for many years but it is hard to know exactly when it became a recognized national issue as there is limited data and reporting on the subject. The American Nursing Association (ANA) established a Code of Ethics that is used to guide how nurses do their job as well as how to treat others in the workplace. In the 2001 code of ethics, the first three provisions laid out four statements that pertain to ethical behaviors and disruptive behavior. The first statement is “1.5 Relationships with Colleagues and Others: The principle of respect for persons extends to all individuals with whom the nurse interacts. The nurse maintains compassionate and caring relationships with colleagues and others with a commitment to fair treatment of individuals, to integrity preserving compromise, and to resolving conflict” (Lachman, 2015, p.138). This statement implies that nurses should not participate in any activity towards coworkers or any individual

Workplace violence is a serious and growing issue in society. Employers need to develop intervention strategies to decrease reduce violence in the workplace. Also, employers and employees need to be aware of the signs when people exhibit behaviors that can lead to workplace violence. As a society, the issue needs to be acknowledged of the reality and work together for creating a solution. Lastly, employers and employees must not live in fear of addressing concerns if they see the potential for workplace violence or report when they witness or experience workplace violence.

Workplace violence takes numerous structures. Corporate and open concern tends to concentrate on pictures of business related crimes, which frequently go with abusive behavior at home circumstances. Different types of workplace violence, for example, grumblings of tormenting and inappropriate behavior, are subtler, yet no less mentally damaging to laborers ' mental and physical wellbeing. (Mathis, John & Sean, 2014). Workplace violence can happen anyplace at any time. Workers in a few commercial enterprises, for example, healthcare or retail foundations, are more probable than others to experience roughness at work.

It seems to be happening more often in today 's society, workplace violence. A disgruntled employee takes out their vengeance on co-workers or a company that has done them wrong. These attacks can included many things, often times though this means causing physical harm to someone else at the workplace. Looking around the Internet, there are many stories about workplace violence happenings all over the world. This paper will focus on two different cases of workplace violence. It will explain what happened in both cases and then it will give advice to the reader about what could be done to prevent the violence from occurring. Matthew 5:9 gives us insight into the importance of being peacemakers in our lives, “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (New Revised Standard Version). It is the goal of this paper to give the reader considerations for helping to prevent workplace violence and become a better peacemaker at work.