Files
Abstract
In this quality improvement project, a standardized tool was developed to study the types, incidence, and psychological impact of violent incidents perpetrated by patients against staff at a federally qualified community health center. Fifty-nine percent of staff reported experiencing violence by patients in the past year. An average of two violent incidents was reported per week over a four-month period. Verbal violence was the most common form of violence, accounting for 54% of all incidents reported. Intimidating and threatening behavior was reported 27% of the time. Over 60% of staff experienced temporary psychological stress resulting from patient violence. Another 39% experienced continuous stress. This data supports findings in the literature that workplace violence is a prevalent and serious public health issue. Reporting and documentation is the first step in mitigating this clinical issue, and the data can be used to inform future interventions.