Emergency Department - Violence Against Health Care Workers

Violence Against Health Care Workers

According to a survey at an urban inner-city tertiary care centre in Vancouver, 57% of health care workers were physically assaulted in 1996. 73% were afraid of patients as a result of violence, almost half 49% hid their identities from patients, 74% had reduced job satisfaction. Over one-fourth of the respondents took days off because of violence. Of respondents no longer working in the emergency department, 67% reported that they had left the job at least partly owing to violence. Twenty-four-hour security and a workshop on violence prevention strategies were felt to be the most useful potential interventions. Physical exercise, sleep and the company of family and friends were the most frequent coping strategies.

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