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Protect Yourselves, Protect Your Patients

Nurses are at high risk for assaults and violence in the workplace due to their close proximity to patients. According to a Press Ganey Survey Report (2021), 2 nurses per hour are assaulted in the acute care setting.

infographic: 1 in 4 nurses assaulted. Only 20-60% incidents reported. 13% of missed work days are due to WPV

Incivility, bullying, and violence in the workplace are serious issues in nursing, with incivility and bullying widespread in all settings.

  • Incivility is “one or more rude, discourteous, or disrespectful actions that may or may not have a negative intent behind them”.
  • ANA defines bullying as “repeated, unwanted, harmful actions intended to humiliate, offend, and cause distress in the recipient.”
  • Workplace Violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening, disruptive behavior from patients, patient's family members, external individuals, and hospital personnel. It includes physical, sexual, and psychological assaults.

Such acts of aggression – be they verbal or physical – are entirely unacceptable, whether delivered by patients or colleagues. These incidents not only have a serious effect on the wellbeing of the nurse in question but also their ability to care for their patients.

This under-reported epidemic has devastating results on the healthcare industry. Studies show that WPV can affect the quality of care and care outcomes, contribute to the development of psychological conditions, and reduce the RN's level of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.

 

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Resources are available to help you prevent violence against nurses, incivility and bullying with tips on what you should do if you encounter a violent patient, family member or colleague.
Download, read and share the #EndNurseAbuse Resource Guide and commit to reporting all abuses that you encounter.
ENA Brochure

 

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Educate Yourself

Nurses should first educate themselves on how to maintain a culture of safety in the workplace. This involves collaboration between leadership and staff to develop safety policies to ensure that patients and nurses are safe.
Educate Yourself

Issues Brief

The Issues Brief: Reporting Incidents of Violence provides guidance on creating a culture that supports reporting as well as mechanisms to support zero-tolerance policies. It also outlines recommendations for workplace violence prevention.

Download Issues Brief

Abuse is never your fault.

 

Hear the Message  gfx_icon_speaker.png

Take a listen to and share the #EndNurseAbuse ad which can be heard on iHeartMedia podcasts and radio.

 

Webinar: It's NOT Part of the Job!

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You CAN do something about workplace violence (WPV). Attend the Violence Against Nurses: It's NOT Part of the Job! webinar to examine approaches to intervene and prevent acts of WPV. Also here about the ANA's position and measure to eliminate WPV against nurses. 

Register for WPV Webinar

 

Webinar: Workplace Violence Against Nurses: What You Can Do

Workplace violence can be prevented, and nurses can lead the way. This on-demand webinar addresses what every nurse needs to know about the challenge of workplace violence against nurses.

Register for Webinar

Or watch short videos cut from this webinar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLf2d17tjKiop_fIRXbI5Jz9WC44Xz0Qei

 

Workplace violence in nursing is a real and prevalent problem. We are speaking up, and raising awareness of the issue to inspire change. Watch this #ENA video.

 

Violence is not part of the job video

 

 

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Take Action

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gfx_cta_rnaction.pngFind out more about current advocacy opportunities on RNAction.

 

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WPV

ANA prioritizes development of enforceable federal standards that establish active roles for health care workers to identify and address the risks of violence in their unique settings.
Download the 2-page PDF document.

OSHA

:: Member resource regarding Workplace Hazards and Concerns.
   Download the PDF document.
:: Informational OSHA flyer.
   Download the PDF document.

Infographic

Infographic on Workplace Violence (WPV).
Download the PDF document.

fact cards

Series of graphic cards with important facts and testimony on Nurse Abuse.
Download the PDF document.

 

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Downloadable Resources

Digital Resources

Related ANA Position statements

ANA Books

Additional Resources

Below are some additional anti-bullying resources created by other health care organizations that you might find useful:

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