Nurse making a heart symbol with gloved hands
#ScottStrong - Keep Healthcare Workers Safe

 

On September 8, Scott, a healthcare worker, was assaulted by a patient and severely injured while on the job. Scott has dedicated more than two decades of his life to caring for patients. Since this tragic event, hundreds of employees and community members have expressed their thoughts and prayers for Scott’s recovery.

Keep healthcare workers safe. Show your support with #ScottStrong.

Protecting Our Healthcare Workers

Did you know that the prevalence of workplace violence in healthcare is higher than in most other professions? Healthcare workers here in Rhode Island and throughout the country are increasingly subject to threats, verbal and physical abuse, and other violent behavior as they simply try to do their jobs.

The following national statistics paint a stark picture of the challenges US healthcare workers face daily—and these numbers may in fact be much higher, as violent incidents at work are often underreported.

On average, 2 nurses were assaulted every hour, translating to about 57 assaults per day, in just the second quarter of 2022, according to data from Press Ganey (2021)
According to the American Nurses Association (2019), 1 out of 4 nurses is physically assaulted on the job.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers have the highest rates of workplace violence injuries - they are 5 times more likely to be injured than other workers.
40 percent of healthcare workers have experienced at least one incident of workplace violence within the past two years, according to a 2023 national survey by Premier, a healthcare improvement organization.

Assault of healthcare workers in Rhode Island is a very serious charge.

Any person who assaults a healthcare worker and/or emergency medical services personnel while that worker is engaged in providing healthcare services shall be deemed to have committed a felony and may be imprisoned. Know the law (read at state.ri.us).  

What You Can Do 

Together, we can create and maintain a peaceful, safe environment – for patients to heal, families and friends to support, and medical professionals to work. 

Take the pledge. Advocate for change.

Take the pledge to keep healthcare workers safe and support #ScottStrong. 

I PLEDGE to help create a safe and respectful health care environment for healthcare workers, patients and visitors.

I support a policy of Zero Tolerance for:

  1. Abusive or violent behaviors or actions towards healthcare workers or other patients and visitors. 

  2. Threatening, discriminatory, or abusive language towards healthcare workers or other patients and visitors.

  3. Possession of weapons or firearms in healthcare settings. 

  4. Taking photos or videos of patients, visitors, and/or staff without permission.

Share the Video

Get the word out: Watch and share this video to encourage others to sign the pledge to keep healthcare workers safe.

For Healthcare Workers

1.   Learn

 Participate in training on how to recognize the potential for violence, how to employ de-escalation techniques, and how to seek assistance to prevent or respond to violence. Become familiar with your organization’s workplace violence prevention program and policies.

2.   Report

 Speak up if you are threatened or harmed, or if you witness violence against someone else, and report abusive or violent incidents promptly. 

3.   Participate

 Increase awareness by talking to your colleagues, leaders, family, and friends about workplace violence. 

New Workplace Violence Safety Standards

The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, introduced new workplace violence prevention requirements for hospitals, effective January 1, 2022. The new requirements address workplace violence prevention policies and procedures, leadership oversight, reporting systems, training, education, and more. 

See the new requirements at www.jointcommission.org.