© 2010 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC

Umiker's Management Skills for the New Health

Care Supervisor, Fifth Edition

Charles McConnell

© 2010 Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC

Chapter 12

Safety and Workplace Safety and Workplace

ViolenceViolence

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During the 1990’s

Almost two-thirds of non-fatal

workplace assaults occurred in

hospitals, nursing homes, and

residential care facilities, and in

most cases involved patients

assaulting nurses. 

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Factors Predisposing to Violence

Societal factors

• easy availability of weapons

• high crime rate in the community

• catastrophic life events (for example,

illness, accident, or death of loved ones)

• distraught or vengeful spouses or other

family members

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Factors Predisposing to Violence

Workplace situations layoffs, job outplacements, mergers, etc. series of threats or aggressive incidents jobs that involve handling money, drugs, etc. Employees working alone, especially late at night assignments in emergency or psychiatric units frequent harassment by coworkers or superiors

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Factors Predisposing to Violence

Workplace Situations (more) weapons brought to the work site interpersonal conflicts in the

workplace chronic labor–management problems frequent grievances or complaints poorly lighted and monitored parking

areas

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Factors Predisposing to Violence

Management deficiencies inept handling of work problems Inconsistent or insensitive supervision failure to act early in the cycle of violence lack of responsiveness to the warning signs authoritarian management lack of staff training in violence prevention

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Violence-Prone Individuals

• Reputation as a loner

• History of drug or alcohol abuse

• Obsession with weapons

• Involvement with racist hate groups

• Tendency to frequently claim unjust

treatment; files many grievances

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Violence-Prone Individuals

• Lack of tolerance for criticism• Low or nonexistent tolerance for

frustration• Dramatic change in personality,

behavior, or performance• History of violence toward animals,

women, and others• Pattern of verbal or physical aggression

(threats, intimidation, verbal abuse)

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Violence-Prone Individuals

• “Hair-trigger” temper

• Frequent disputes with superiors

• Object of criticism or harassment from

coworkers

• Mentally disturbed, paranoid, perceives

injustice

• Tendency to project responsibility for problems

onto others

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Violence-Prone Individuals

• Has made statements suggesting

feelings of despair about personal or

job-related matters

• Is experiencing heightened stress at

work or at home

• Obsessive behavior toward coworkers

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Threats?

Overt threats of violence may

be absent, but warning signs

are usually present.

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Effects of Violence on Victims

Managers must be continually

sensitive to the effects of

violence and the potential

danger to internal customers

and external customers.

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Management Responsibility

Employers must make every effort to avoid

hiring individuals who pose risks to

employees and customers. When an

employer becomes aware of a dangerous

employee, that employer has a duty to

investigate, and sometimes discharge, the

employee.

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Violence-Control Program

Policies and procedures that foster workplace harmony and minimize the potential for violence

Improved Screening of Job Candidates to help eliminate questionable

Education and training of supervisors and workers

Improved Communication

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Environmental Factors

Management can take a number of

positive steps to ensure that the

physical environment promotes

safety and that emergency

communication processes are in

place and functioning.

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Avoid Hiring Problem People

Ask applicants: What kinds of people can’t you get along with? When did you last time become angry at work? How did you react to the most difficult situation

you faced at work What kinds of behavior of other did you dislike?

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Supervisors:

Timely and sincere employee

counseling can often head off severe

problems that can lead to violence.

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Bomb Threats

Take every such threat seriously.

Keep the caller on the line as long as

possible so the call might be traced. Collect as much information as

possible Take notes; ask the caller to repeat

information.

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Bomb Threats (more)

Note any unusual phrases used by

the caller; this may help identify the

caller.

Listen for background noises that

may help determine the origin of

the call.