DEFINITION OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE:
An act or threat of violence involving a spoken or unspoken threat to personal safety, well being or health; and/or, other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs within health care facilities. The
term “workplace violence” shall not include lawful acts of self-defense or the defense of others.
Workplace violence includes, but is not limited to the following:
A. The threat or use of physical force, sexual assault, battery, harassment, bullying or intimidation, which may be verbal or non-verbal, against a caregiver or employee that results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, psychological trauma or stress, regardless of whether the employee sustains a physical injury;
B. An incident involving the threat or use of a firearm or other weapon, including the use of common objects as weapons, regardless of whether the employee sustains an injury.
C. An incident involving a patient, operating under an acute mental illness, significant cognitive impairment or an acute medical condition, who may be unable to understand the effects or the results of their actions. This type of incident is still considered a reportable event.
TYPES OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE:
A. Violent acts by individuals who have no connection with the health care facility, but enter to obtain drugs, commit theft, or commit other criminal acts.
B. Violence directed at employees, or other persons present, by customers, clients, patients, visitors, students, inmates, or any others for whom an organization provides services. (most common in health care)
C. Violence against coworkers, supervisors, managers, or others persons present by a current or former employee.
D. Violence committed in the health care facility by a non-employee, who may have a personal relationship with an employee, for example, a relative, spouse or domestic partner.
E. Violence not involving a health care worker, but occurring in a health care facility, or on its property. This may include patient/patient, visitor/patient, or visitor/visitor violence.
