Off the Charts

Violence Against Health Care Workers: Time for a Zero Tolerance Approach

“Staff should know implicitly that they don’t have to work in an unsafe environment . . . “

The October issue of AJN has two articles that focus on workplace violence. We’ve shared them through social media—and sadly, the response and comments indicate that this information is sorely needed.

One, described in last week’s blog post by clinical editor Betsy Todd, is an article from a health system reporting on how they developed an innovative program to train their employees to deal with violent situations.

‘Staggering numbers.’

The second article (free until Nov. 8) is from nurse and attorney Edie Brous, our contributing editor and coordinator of our legal column, and covers what staff should expect from management in striving for safe workplaces. The numbers of workplace injuries and violent episodes are staggering—the CDC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other government agencies dealing with health and safety all show significant increases in the last five to ten years. Brous cites many of these data and notes, “The health care industry experiences almost as many violent injuries as all other industries combined.”

Organizations must be proactive . . . and held accountable.

What responsibility do health care organizations have? Brous writes:

“Organizations must be proactive in protecting their workforce and held accountable […]

Share this:
Facebook
Bluesky
X
LinkedIn

Shawn Kennedy, MA, RN, FAAN, editor-in-chief (emerita)2018-10-25T10:18:03-04:00October 25th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

Reexamining Resilience

Words matter.

As I have been presenting at various nursing gatherings and conferences about the topic of resilience in light of work-related grief, I have been struck anew by the definitions of resilience that I find in the literature.

The ability to return to a state of normalcy or to “bounce back” from adversity or trauma and remain focused and optimistic about the future (Dyer & McGuinness, 1996).
The “ability to face adverse situations, remain focused, and continue to be optimistic for the future” (Kester & Wei, 2018).

While I understand and very much appreciate the intent (and necessity) behind these definitions, I have to ask whether we are adequately exploring the meanings of the words used within these definitions and the implications for what nurses should expect of themselves in seeking to be resilient.

Does short-term resilience look different from long-term resilience?

For example, in the definition presented by Dyer and McGuinness, a resilient nurse should be able to return to a state of normalcy. There is certainly a need for nurses to be able to maintain a steadfast mind and emotional state in the short-term moments of acute crises with their patients. A nurse returning to work after a difficult shift just the day before has to find a […]

Hui-wen Sato, MSN, MPH, RN, CCRN2018-10-23T10:04:47-04:00October 23rd, 2018|Nursing, nursing perspective, wellness|0 Comments

Worker Health Charts: Comparing the Health and Safety of Your Nurses to the Nation

Is this facility’s problem unique?

Most health care facilities conduct regular employee surveys to identify and address problems among their workforce. However, it can be difficult to for a facility to determine if the issues identified in their employee survey are unique to their institution or similar to what is happening at other facilities nationwide.

To answer this question, it would be helpful for health care facilities to have a national data set for comparison. Recently, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) created Worker Health Charts, a tool that charts data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and other national and state-level data sources. The data cover various topics ranging from psychosocial exposures in the workplace (e.g., high job demands and work–life imbalance) to chronic conditions (e.g., cancer and high blood pressure) found among certain jobs, industries, or demographics. Nurse managers and occupational health staff can use Worker Health Charts to include questions in employee surveys and compare their data to national statistics.

How national data can inform a local plan of action.

Guest Author2018-10-17T11:05:56-04:00October 17th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

AJN’s Recent Breast Cancer Articles: From Screening to Late Treatment Effects

Image via Flickr / Ted Fu

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a time when we hear and read much about breast cancer statistics, the importance of screening, and the stories of those affected by the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States; an estimated 12% of women will face a diagnosis during their lifetimes.

In recognition of this month, we’re sharing a list of some of our most recent articles on the topic, which cover the latest in screening guidelines, treatments and treatment effects, and more:

All of these articles are free to access this month.

Diane Szulecki, editor2018-10-15T09:16:13-04:00October 15th, 2018|Nursing|0 Comments

Workplace Violence Training: Beyond Tabletop Exercises

Breaking the rules of ordinary nurse behavior.

Have you ever thrown a fire extinguisher at a hospital visitor?

In this issue, “Workplace Violence Training Using Simulation” describes how one Ohio health system employs classroom learning, hands-on defense techniques, and simulated violence scenarios to prepare staff for potentially violent situations, including the presence of an active shooter.

Part of this training involves learning how to break the rules of ordinary behavior. This is hard for nurses, because it’s so ingrained in us to protect and never to harm. Grabbing a fire extinguisher to throw at someone, even if that person is holding a gun, is not the initial reaction most of us would have in this situation.

“People often freeze or panic in response to acts of aggression, assault, or other violence, including shots fired,” note authors Robin Brown and colleagues. The remarkable workplace violence training that they have developed at their hospital aims to empower staff to respond effectively in dangerous situations. Key points of discussion include learning to