Workplace Violence Prevention
Violence in emergency departments has reached epidemic levels and emergency nurses are particularly vulnerable. In fact, the health care industry leads all other sectors in the incidence of nonfatal workplace assaults, and the emergency department is a particularly vulnerable setting. It’s currently a felony to assault an emergency nurse in 31 states, and ENA is working hard to make it a felony in all 50 states.
ENA believes emergency nurses have the right to education and training related to the recognition, management and mitigation of workplace violence. The mitigation of workplace violence requires a “zero tolerance” environment instituted and supported by hospital leadership.
The resources below were designed to help emergency nurses conduct and participate in research and quality improvement initiatives aimed at preventing, mitigating, and reporting workplace violence.