November Joint Commission Journal: Workplace violence in the perioperative environment
Workforce safety has gained more attention in recent years as the incidence has risen and impacts workforce wellbeing and patient safety. A feature article in the November issue of The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety (JQPS) reports on the results of a cross-sectional, prospective survey conducted in 2021 showing that over 78% of anesthesiologist assistants, certified registered nurse anesthetists, physicians, and registered nurses report some form of workplace violence, almost 37% witnessed physical workplace violence, and almost 70% experienced nonphysical workplace violence.
Conducted by the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, the survey also reveals that fewer than half of the respondents experiencing nonphysical workplace violence felt that the “situation was addressed and resolved to their satisfaction.”
While legal and regulatory organizational requirements related to workplace violence are broadening – including updated Joint Commission standards – the incidence of workplace violence is rising in healthcare, impacting patient safety and clinician well-being. The study authors discuss that the high prevalence of workplace violence signals a call to action, and they point to The Joint Commission standards as a framework for organizations, and particularly for leadership, to use to make progress.