Workplace Violence against Healthcare Workers in Health Services Organizations

Abstract The healthcare environment is one of the most complex and dangerous occupational hazards for healthcare workers, especially nurses. The complexity of a culture of patient-related violence and the nature of their jobs place healthcare workers at risk for violence on the job. Workplace violence is a profoundly serious issue and continues to be a growing problem in the United States. This paper is a brief literature review of workplace violence against healthcare workers in health services organizations. These sections will be discussed (a) common workplaces where violence occurs; (b)types of workplace violence; (c)workplace violence against healthcare workers in health services organizations displayed in a conceptual model; (d) mental health and physiological problems of workplace violence on healthcare workers; (e) cost of workplace violence in health services organizations; and (e) strategies for prevention. Healthcare administrators are obligated to provide a safe environment for patients and staff. However, numerous guidelines have been developed, workplace violence continues to be at an increased rate. Continuous research studies are needed to improve the safety of healthcare workers in their diverse work settings. Also, more research is needed in healthcare settings with limited research.