Table 1 Interventions to address workplace violence implemented by the studied hospital [24,25,26,27,28]
Program | Description |
|---|---|
RiskMan | A reporting system to record, notify and investigate health and safety incidents and near misses at work. |
Tap Out program | Nurses nominate to be swapped from one area of the ED to another in order to remove them from challenging patients or situations. |
Muster Slides | Highlight potentially challenging patients which allows the in-charge nurse to distribute them evenly among nurses to reduce compassion fatigue and mental injury. |
Accountability letter | A letter is sent on behalf of the hospital to a perpetrator of violence, informing them that their behaviour was inappropriate and that an alert will be placed on their medical record. |
Behavioural assessment unit | The unit is co-located with the ED but removes patients from the more chaotic environment of the main ED area. The aim is to fast-track the admission of patients with intoxication and mental health issues. |
Management plan | Management plans for complex patients include tailored strategies to prevent aggressive behaviour and de-escalate the specific patient when they become aggressive. |