As violence becomes more common, healthcare facilities should recognize that emergency departments are especially vulnerable, according to an article on the Fierce Healthcare website.
Of the more than 150 shootings at hospitals across the United States from 2000 to 2011, 30 percent of those occurred in the ED, FierceHealthcare has reported.
Not only does violence in the ED pose an obvious risk to patient safety, it represents a significant occupational hazard for healthcare workers, the article said.
Violence-associated workplace injuries have nearly doubled for nursing staff from 2012 to 2014, according to a recent Occupational Health Safety Network report.
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