BACKGROUND: Workplace violence from coworkers, patients, and
visitors is a problem affecting every occupational group in the health and
social service sector [1-3]. Workplace violence is demonstrated by coworkers
through bullying behaviors and by patients and visitors through physical
threats and assaults.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to highlight the special
issue authors' and guest editors' recommendations for protecting healthcare
workers from being victimized and incurring the negative consequences of
having experienced workplace violence.
METHODS: Recommendations from the special issue were categorized
and discussed in relation to the Social-Ecological Model and the prevention
efforts targeting individuals, relationships, communities, and society.
RESULTS: Individual-level recommendations focused on the personal
risk reduction for healthcare workers. Relationship-level recommendations
addressed the problem of bullying between coworkers and physical violence
derived from patients and visitors. Workplace-level recommendations
discussed a multi-faceted systems approach to violence management.
Societal-level recommendations centered on a universal health policy
approach.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of a model such as the Social-Ecological Model
can be helpful in planning violence prevention efforts in the healthcare
setting.
