Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare: A Quality Improvement Study
A regional referral hospital implemented a quality improvement initiative to proactively reduce workplace violence against health care workers. This interdisciplinary effort, led by a clinical nurse specialist, focused on creating a safer environment through shared governance and strong leadership. The team used the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) framework to guide the intervention, which was piloted during the third quarter of 2023. The project tracked key outcomes, including the number of violent incidents, related employee injury costs, and hospital length of stay. Violent incidents decreased by 37% post-implementation. Additionally, missed workdays due to assault-related injuries decreased from 59 in 2022 to none in 2023, resulting in nearly $30,000 in direct cost savings. This initiative demonstrates the effectiveness of interdisciplinary collaboration and data-driven strategies in improving staff safety and reducing the impact of workplace violence in health care settings.