Healthcare

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals are often dealing with people when they’re at their most vulnerable. As a result, emotions can run high and tempers can flare. This means that however good your customer service skills, and however professional your staff members are, you’re likely to have to deal with angry and upset customers at regular intervals during your career.

Learning how to manage aggressive and unhappy customers and patients is an essential skill for all healthcare workers. While conflict resolution techniques are never guaranteed to work, there are measures you can take to help diffuse difficult situations, improve the customer experience, and ensure that healthcare workers and patients feel safe, secure, and reassured in all situations.

Read on to learn how to deal with aggressive customers and patients in a variety of healthcare environments with these top tips.

Try to Diffuse the Situation

The first step in successful conflict resolution is diffusing the situation. The higher emotions get and the more heated the discussion becomes, the harder it is to calm things down and come to a solution.

There are several ways to diffuse a situation. The method you choose will depend on the circumstances and your instincts. Demonstrating active listening, good body language, and empathy can all help to diffuse difficult situations.

It’s also important to avoid using accusatory language and attributing blame. One of the best ways to do this is to use ‘I’ statements instead of ‘You’ statements. So, for example, ‘I can see that this situation is frustrating’ rather than ‘You’re frustrated with this situation.’ After all, no one likes to be told how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking, especially during a confrontation.

Keep Your Perspective Straight and Don’t Get Defensive

When dealing with upset and angry patients, it’s important to keep your perspective and avoid becoming defensive. As a healthcare professional, it’s your job to see the bigger picture and to try and understand that health conditions, pent-up frustration, and fear may well be the root cause of a person’s aggression. This doesn’t mean you should excuse or condone threatening behavior, but it does mean you should try not to take it personally or let it upset you.

If you do let the words get under your skin, there’s a good chance you’ll become defensive. This can cause the situation to escalate quickly and result in tempers boiling over.

If you feel yourself becoming emotional or defensive, take a deep breath and take a mental step back from the confrontation. Try to see the situation from the patient or customer’s point of view and empathize with their position. If this doesn’t work, or if you feel threatened, call in your support team for backup.

Try to Control Your Body Language

Body language is incredibly important when working to resolve disputes with patients and customers face-to-face. According to famous researcher Albert Mehrabian, around 55% of communication relies on body language. Of the remaining 45%, 38% is the tone of voice and just 7% is the actual words that are spoken.

This means that, whether they realize it or not, angry customers will read into your body language throughout your encounter. If your body language doesn’t match the placating words coming out of your mouth, it could inflame the situation and fuel the customer’s anger.

You can begin de-escalating the situation by sitting down. Not only will this make you appear non-threatening, but it also shows you have time to listen to the patient or customer and resolve the issue. Try to keep your body as relaxed as possible, avoid closing your fists, even in frustration, and maintain an open posture.

Be a Good Listener and Show Empathy

A lot of the time, irate customers and angry patients just want to be heard. Actively listening to their complaint or grievance can often be enough to diffuse a situation, or at least take a step toward de-escalating it.

When listening to customer complaints, try to face the speaker throughout. If you turn your back on them or look at your computer or phone during a customer conversation, you can come across as disinterested or dismissive. Maintaining eye contact while you listen is another important way to make the customer feel heard.

As we’ve already seen, a huge amount of communication is non-verbal. So, make sure you pay close attention to body language, tone of voice, and other non-verbal cues when talking to a patient or customer. This can help you to get a better understanding of their state of mind and a clearer picture of the issue.

When talking to upset or difficult customers, it’s also important to avoid interrupting and to listen without judgment. This can often be a challenge, especially in heated situations. If you find yourself wanting to jump in and say your piece, take a deep breath, relax your body, and try to focus.

A key part of active listening is being present at the moment and really hearing what the other person is saying. To ensure you don’t become distracted, don’t think about what you’re going to say next and avoid imposing your own opinions or solutions.

Once your patient or customer has finished talking, ask questions that show you’ve really heard them. This can help to demonstrate empathy, something that can further help to diffuse difficult situations.

How to actively listen to upset patients and difficult customers:

•   Face the speaker
•   Maintain eye contact
•   Watch out for non-verbal cues
•   Don’t interrupt
•   Listen without judgment
•   Don’t plan what to say next
•   Don’t impose your own opinions or solutions
•   Stay focused
•   Ask questions

Use the AER Technique

One way to improve your active listening skills and show empathy is to use the AER technique. AER (Acknowledge, Empathize, Reassure) allows you to approach aggressive customers and patients with a proven technique for de-escalation. In essence, it works through the implementation of three steps:

•   Acknowledge — As we have already discussed, irate customers and angry patients often simply want to be heard. Acknowledging the complaint or issue is the first step to understanding and showing real empathy.
•   Empathize — Real empathy is underpinned by acknowledgment and the ability to ensure the customer or patient is understood. When used correctly, this will help bring the individual onto your side and allow you to move onto the next step.
•   Reassure — Once you have acknowledged the problem and empathized with how the individual is feeling, you can work towards resolution with the customer or patient. Reassuring the individual that the problem will be taken seriously and that a solution will be worked towards is a proven way to settle the situation.

For example, if a combative guest reports to the front desk, visibly stressed because a housekeeper walked in on them as they were changing, you can implement the AER technique to deal with the situation.

Firstly, acknowledge the importance of the guest’s right to privacy in your hotel, and that a mistake has been made in violating that right. Secondly, empathize with how the guest is feeling, that they have a right to be upset by this mistake—even if it was an honest one. Finally, thank the guest for reporting the incident and reassure them that you can work together to find a resolution.

Learn When to Walk Away

Sometimes, no matter how good your customer service team or how polished your communication skills are, there’s just nothing you can do to resolve a situation or reconcile with an unhappy customer. If you’ve tried everything and still not made any headway, it might be time to walk away. You can always re-start the conversation when everyone has had a chance to take a deep breath.

Practice Self-Care

It’s not easy being the subject of someone’s aggression. In fact, it can be difficult to let go of the situation. If possible, ask for a break and do something that is soothing to you. Take a walk, meditate, watch a funny video, or call a friend. The most important thing is to pause and process what happened, and to remember what happened isn’t about you.  There’s a helpful podcast on this topic from Hidden Brain we highly recommend.

No employee should be subjected to aggressive or threatening behavior. However, when confrontations do happen, it’s important that workers aren’t left on their own. Panic buttons can help to ensure that front-line workers are able to call for help when they need it. Find out more, and learn how our panic button systems are already protecting workers around the country, by getting in touch today.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare and social assistance workers experienced an annualized incidence rate of 14.2 nonfatal workplace violence cases per 10,000 full-time workers over the 2021–2022 period — accounting for nearly 73% of all private-industry workplace violence cases. From doctors and nurses to healthcare assistants and receptionists, people employed by healthcare organizations are significantly more likely to experience violence at work than those in other areas.

Most hospitals in the US have a long list of procedures, rules, and regulations designed to keep staff and patients safe. These procedures can help to significantly improve hospital security, protect hospital staff and make healthcare centers safer places to be.

The Importance of Safety and Security in Hospitals

Safety and security are important issues both for hospital staff members and their patients. According to the Joint Commission, healthcare workers are around 4 times as likely to experience workplace violence compared to workers in private industry as a whole. This high rate of violence can increase staff turnover and even put people off entering the industry in the first place. Developing healthcare security, and creating a more secure environment, can improve staff retention and ensure that patients get the care they deserve.

Procedures for Workplace Safety

There are a number of procedures hospitals and healthcare centers can implement in order to improve workplace safety. These range from simple measures like checking visitors’ driver’s licenses and issuing wearable panic buttons to conducting thorough background checks on candidates that reply to job postings.

Wearable Panic Buttons

Wireless panic button systems can help to significantly reduce instances of workplace violence. These systems allow hospital staff to call for help whenever they feel threatened or when they spot violence, unauthorized visitors, or anti-social behavior on the premises. When the panic button is triggered, hospital security professionals are given the exact location of the person who needs assistance. This helps doctors, nurses, and other hospital employees to get help fast.

In a recent drug addiction center that used ROAR’s system, the facility helped reduce patient on staff assaults by 39% and workers’ compensation claims by 24%. Knowledge of the system helped reduce the frequency of assaults, similar to ADT home security signs. Read more about the use case on MedCity News.

See how healthcare organizations are using staff duress systems to reduce violent incidents and protect their teams.

Access Control

Access control is an important element of hospital safety and security. Restricting who comes into the emergency department, wards and parking lots will help to keep a healthcare facility secure. Access to these areas can be controlled using manned security services, automated barriers, or CCTV systems. Staff can be issued with electronic keycards to allow them to access all areas of the hospital safely and securely.

Video Surveillance

Video surveillance can be used to improve monitoring throughout a hospital or medical center. As well as helping to identify people that may assault staff or steal valuables, video surveillance can act as a deterrent. CCTV systems have been shown to reduce levels of crime, especially when they’re combined with other deterrents like bright lighting, increased numbers of security personnel, and targeted training programs.

Keeping Records of Staff, Patients, and Assets

Record keeping is another important element of hospital safety. Knowing exactly who is on-site at any particular time can help you to keep your premises secure and ensure there are no unauthorized visitors who could pose a security risk.

Patients and visitors should be required to sign in or notify a security officer when they arrive on the premises. Staff can be issued with electronic access keys to allow them to move freely throughout the hospital while keeping wards and treatment areas secure. All entry and exit records should be easy to access and easy to verify.

As well as keeping notes of the people on the hospital premises, healthcare providers should make records of their assets. This can include any valuables that are accessible for patients or staff and could cover everything from computers and TVs to medications.

Security Personnel Availability

Ideally, healthcare security officers should be available to doctors, nurses, and other employees at all times. Having full-time security on hand will ensure healthcare workers have the support they need and that they feel secure whenever they’re on the job.

A security guard should be posted in the emergency department and other areas easily accessible to members of the public. If possible, there should also be a hospital security officer on each floor, or each wing, of the building. The more security staff there are available, the easier – and quicker – it should be for people to get help when they need it most.

Procedure for Patient Safety in Hospital

Patient safety is just as important for hospitals as staff safety. Putting procedures in place can help to protect patients from theft, falls, and injuries and keep their data secure while they’re getting the treatment they need.

Identification Checks

Carrying out identification checks is an easy and effective way of improving patient safety in hospitals. All staff working in a hospital should have a thorough background check before their employment begins. This check should cover everything from their high school diploma to their medical qualifications.

A thorough background check should reveal any issues with the prospective employee’s suitability. If any criminal convictions or other serious issues are uncovered, they can be properly addressed before the person starts work. In some cases, background checks can reveal that a candidate is not suitable for the role, or even that they may pose a risk to patient safety.

Personal Information Security

Medical information can be incredibly sensitive. Keeping this data secure is therefore essential if patient safety is going to be fully protected. Hospitals that have an online security department can implement cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent hackers from accessing patient information. Alternatively, third-party consultants can be used to help healthcare providers beef up their security.

Hospitals also need to protect on-site files and folders containing patient data. This can be done by securing filing cabinets containing patient data and by posting a hospital security guard within sight of the main storage area.

Infections and Fall Checks

Every year, more than 250,000 people are killed by hospital errors, accidents, and infections. Even more are left injured. Preventing these incidents is an important step in maximizing patient safety and ensuring their wellbeing.

Hospitals should make sure patients remain seated or lying down until they’re able to walk around unaided. Removing trip hazards and installing grab rails can help to prevent falls while regular fall checks will ensure anyone that does have an accident is found as quickly as possible. The best way to reduce the rate of infection in a healthcare center is to ensure staff and cleaners maintain the highest possible levels of hygiene.

The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) publishes guidelines describing how hospitals can best protect their patients from infection. These can be found on the IAHSS website.

Electrical Appliance Checks

All electrical appliances used by patients should be checked to ensure they’re safe. These checks should be carried out on an annual basis or at the interval outlined by the governing body in the local area.

Keeping Your Valuables Safe

Creating a secure environment in a hospital or healthcare center will help to prevent theft and keep patients’ valuables safe. Where possible, lockers should be provided and site access restricted to patients, healthcare professionals, and a limited number of visitors.

These procedures can help to protect patients and staff from violence, theft, and accidental injuries. For more information about the hidden impact workplace violence has on business download this article.

Emergency Protocols and Procedures

It’s critical to have clear and effective emergency protocols in place to ensure the safety of both staff and patients in healthcare settings. Hospitals should have well-communicated plans for various emergencies, including medical incidents, fires, or violent situations. Regular training is necessary to prepare healthcare workers to respond quickly and appropriately. Evacuation routes must be clearly marked, and communication systems such as intercoms or walkie-talkies should be tested regularly to ensure they are functioning properly.

Equipping facilities with a staff duress system allows for immediate assistance in dangerous situations, ensuring that security personnel can respond quickly and effectively. These emergency protocols create a safer environment and improve the overall security of the facility.

As most healthcare professionals will be only too aware, workplace violence disproportionately affects those working in the industry. In the US, 70-74% of workplace assaults occur in healthcare settings. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of professionals reporting assaults went up even further, with violent incidents in some areas increasing by 300%.

Substance abuse and addiction are known risk factors when it comes to violence in the workplace. As a result, addiction counselors and those supporting people with substance abuse issues are even more likely to experience violent behavior. According to a 2015 study, more than half (53%) of counselors working in substance use disorder treatment programs personally experienced violence, while 44% witnessed violence and 61% had knowledge of a colleague experiencing violence.

Safety is, therefore, an incredibly important consideration for those working in the areas of addiction and substance abuse. Here then, we look at 5 steps addiction counselors can take to keep themselves, and their colleagues, safe when they’re on the job.

What is the Importance of Addiction Counselors?

Addiction counselors do hugely important work by providing essential support for those dealing with and recovering from, a range of addictions and substance abuse issues. An addiction counselor will often work with their patients to create treatment plans and coping strategies as well as address their dependency issues.

By building trusting relationships with their patients, and providing judgment-free guidance, addiction counselors can support both those undergoing addiction treatment and, in many cases, their family members as well. Support can include everything from offering advice and facilitating access to support groups to family therapy and referrals to other associated health services. Having this consistent help on hand can boost a patient’s chances of recovery and of beating their substance abuse issues for good.

What are the Disadvantages of Being an Addiction Counselor?

Though addiction counseling is often very rewarding, there are of course downsides to the job. One of the main challenges addiction counselors face is violence in the workplace. Working with people experiencing drug abuse, alcohol addiction, and mental health issues can significantly increase the risk of violence. Therefore, professionals who work in addiction counseling are more likely to experience assaults and threatening behavior.

Safety Guidelines

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has released guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social services workers. These guidelines look at common risk factors associated with violence in the workplace as well as violence prevention programs and strategies that can be used to help keep professionals safe. This includes introducing panic buttons, clearly marking exit routes, improving lighting, and installing metal detectors, barriers, and monitoring equipment. The main areas identified in the guidelines are below.

5 Safety Tips for Addiction Counselors

1. Management Communication

One of the best ways of improving workplace safety for substance use disorder counselors is boosting management communication. Counselors need to be able to talk to their managers and have their concerns understood and addressed. Regular meetings and clear communication procedures should help to create a supportive and safe environment for addiction counselors to work in.

2. Regular Health and Safety Training

Regular health and safety training for those working in addiction treatment services should help to ensure addiction counselors stay up to date with the latest guidelines and regulations relating to their profession.

Regular, targeted health and safety training can also be used to provide addiction counselors with advice on coping with violent patients and guidance on spotting problematic behavioral issues. Identifying behavioral health problems early can help to prevent assaults and give addiction counselors the information they need to protect themselves and their patients.

3. Keep a Record of Threatening Behavior

Keeping a record of any threatening words or actions displayed by patients can help addiction counselors to recognize dangerous patterns of behavior. This can make it easier to identify individuals who might become violent in the future. Where possible, these records should be available to all professionals working from the same recovery center.

4. Worksite Analysis and Hazard Identification

There are several environmental factors that can increase the likelihood of patients becoming violent. Small, cramped waiting rooms, long waiting times, poorly lit circulation areas and badly designed inpatient and outpatient centers have all been shown to contribute to an increased level of assaults in the workplace. Addiction counselors are also at increased risk when working alone and when working in areas with high crime rates.

While substance abuse treatment centers may not be able to address all of these factors, some are very easy to fix. Analyzing the usability and safety of a space, identifying hazards, and working to remedy these issues can help to significantly improve the safety of professionals when they’re treating patients.

5. Wear a Panic Button

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, a lack of access to emergency communication equipment is one of the main risk factors when it comes to assaults in the workplace. Introducing a comprehensive and reliable panic button system is therefore one of the best ways of improving addiction counselor safety on your premises.

Wearable panic buttons allow professionals to quickly and discreetly call for help whenever they feel threatened. Security services will be provided with the exact location of the person that requires assistance, allowing them to get there as quickly as possible.

Whether you’re an addiction counselor, social worker, or a member of support staff, having a safe and secure environment will help you to perform your role to the best of your abilities. To find out more about the benefits of panic buttons for behavioral health centers, and learn how ROAR’s technology is already improving workplace safety, get in touch with a member of our team.

TLDR

According to OSHA, hospitals and healthcare facilities are among the most dangerous places to work, with twice the rate of workplace injuries compared to the private sector. However, through awareness, education, and technology, your facility can ensure that “Caring for our Caregivers” is a top priority.

Through ROAR, I have made a commitment to protecting 30,000,000 vulnerable people by 2030. My experiences within hospitality transposed into the healthcare and behavioral health sectors gives us some insight into what the most at-risk workers need in order to do their jobs safely and without fear. 

However, we also recognize that, while minimizing the risk to those working within the industry is a priority for all stakeholders, achieving it in any given medical facility is no easy task.  

So, to help guide a comprehensive workplace safety program, here we look at eight of the most important healthcare facility safety tips as suggested by some of our clients. 

What are Some Safety Tips to Remember on the Job?

As all healthcare workers will know, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities can be busy, hectic places packed full of potential hazards. 

From infection to accidental injury through harassment to chemical spills, these environments are often dangerous places to work. 

In fact, there are more reported accidents, injuries, and work-related illnesses than any other industry, with  650,000  healthcare professionals are injured on the job every year. 

For managers and supervisors, assessing the risk of injury each worker faces, taking steps to improve employee wellbeing, and improving working conditions is critical. 

This approach can go a long way to preventing both fatal and nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses in all healthcare settings. Here we look at some of the basics as suggested to us by our clients. 

1. Be Aware of Chemical Hazards

 Most healthcare professionals will work with chemicals on a daily basis. Whether cleaning products or substances used in tests and assessments, these chemicals can be harmful if they’re not handled correctly. 

Any staff member that works with dangerous chemicals should be trained in the proper use and disposal of the product to comply with new OSHA guidelines.

2. Avoid Overexertion

There’s no denying that working in any healthcare facility can be tiring. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals regularly work around the clock with few breaks. This can leave many with musculoskeletal disorders, back injuries, other aches and pains, as well as fatigue and its associated issues.  

Where possible, employees should avoid overexertion, take regular breaks, and stay hydrated. Where this isn’t an option, doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals should work to minimize the impact of long shifts and physical work.  

3. Provide Plenty of PPE

Personal protective equipment, or PPE, has always been an important part of hospital safety. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown just how effective gloves, face shields, gowns and masks can be at reducing infection rates and keeping staff and patients safe.  

Today, however, healthcare facilities must provide employees with full PPE, while also keeping sufficient stocks to prevent shortages in times of emergency—such as during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Staff should be trained in the proper use and disposal of the equipment, while alternative gloves should also be made available for any workers with a latex allergy. 

4. Keep Up to Date on Patient Handling Guidelines

Learning how to lift and maneuver patients properly can help to minimize injuries to both hospital staff and the people they care for. 

Hospital managers should run regular training sessions to help ensure everyone who works in their hospital is fully up to date on the latest patient handling advice. 

5. Be Aware of Bloodborne Pathogens

Needlestick injuries are a major hazard of the job for many healthcare workers. Experts estimate that there are around 600,000 sharps injuries in the US every year, many of which go unreported. 

Needlestick injuries can lead to the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and spread diseases like HIV. Hospital managers should introduce regular needles and sharps training sessions to help minimize the number of injuries. 

6. Use Official Hospital IDs

Wearing official hospital ID helps healthcare workers to identify each other and spot people who may be trespassing in the space. Many US hospitals have now made wearable IDs mandatory and increasing their use in healthcare settings may help to keep staff and workers safe. 

7. Implement Panic Button Systems

Personal panic buttons can be incredibly useful in healthcare settings, and when issued to doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff, they can allow individuals to summon help quickly and effectively if they find themselves in a dangerous situation.

Panic buttons can also be used to get help to patients in distress outside of normal operating areas and to attend to healthcare professionals injured on the job.  

8. Report Workplace Violence

Hospital managers should work to ensure employees feel confident reporting any workplace violence that they see or experience. Putting procedures in place and encouraging staff to use them should help managers to spot any potentially dangerous behavior before it’s too late. 

Why is Health and Safety Important in Healthcare Facilities?

Healthcare has one of the highest rates of workplace injury in the US. In fact, in 2017, the health care and social assistance industry reported more injury and illness cases than any other private industry sector. 

Introducing comprehensive safety measures is the best way to protect staff and patients, minimize worker compensation claims, and help to create a safer environment for everyone.  

Our clients have also expressed that the Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need for comprehensive safety guidelines in the healthcare industry.

 In particular where PPE, infectious disease control, and employee safety is concerned. Even with full protective equipment in place, hospital and nursing home staff are at increased risk of coronavirus infection, and the glaring shortages of PPE have forced many hospitals and facilities simply make the best of a bad situation—something that should not be tolerated in any 21st century healthcare system. 

Of immediate concern, however, is the concerning rise of  attacks on medical professionals around the world, revealing just some of the issues employees face on a daily basis.

 Having experienced these types of incidents within the hospitality sector, I understand the huge need for comprehensive workplace safety and security plans, and reporting structures that do not punish staff for highlighting violent or sexual assault. 

What are the Safety Measures in a Healthcare Facilities?

Most hospitals in the US have a long list of procedures, rules, and regulations designed to keep staff and patients safe. Like almost all workplaces across the country, hospitals are required to abide by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. 

Developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the act incorporates recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 

On top of these general health and safety recommendations, OSHA has also created a set of guidelines and resources specifically aimed at healthcare facilities. 

These cover areas that are particular to hospitals and, when properly implemented, should help to protect healthcare workers and improve patient care.

How Does OSHA Protect Healthcare Workers?

It’s worth noting that there are numerous existing frameworks in place to guide health and safety policies within the industry.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, protects healthcare workers in both public and private industry by developing and updating industry-specific health and safety guidelines on a regular basis.  

OSHA understands that hospitals can be dangerous places to work, and it aims to offer comprehensive guidance on a range of areas, including: 

• Culture of Safety  – Explores safety culture within healthcare facilities and links patient to worker safety. 
• Infectious Diseases  – Discusses how occupational exposure to infectious diseases can be managed.  
• Safe Patient Handling – Compiles information and resources on musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. 
• Workplace Violence  – Explores workplace violence in the healthcare industry and how to evaluate hazards and determine solutions and risk factors. 
• Other Hazards  – Explores other hazards in the healthcare industry, including chemicals, hazardous drugs, and materials that cause allergic reactions. 
• Standards –  Highlights best-practice standards and other enforcement information within to the healthcare industry. 

Find out more about how our  panic buttons can help to keep hospital workers safe, and the importance of promoting a safe working environment, by contacting a member of our team today and exploring our case studies. 

Boost Healthcare Safety and Security with ROAR

According to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), hospitals and healthcare facilities are among the most hazardous places to work in the world, recording a rate of 5.5 work related injuries and illnesses for every 100 full time employees.  

Clearly, occupational health and safety remains a big issue within the industry, and considering the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the importance healthcare workers play in every society cannot be understated. In fact, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom, recently expressed his opinion that “no country, hospital or clinic can keep its patients safe unless it keeps its health workers safe”.  

This means that reducing occupational injuries and addressing safety concerns is paramount for health services and institutes everywhere and providing healthcare workers with the tools they need to feel safe whilst working in hazardous environments is key to effective risk management in these settings.  

But what hazards do healthcare workers deal with in their work and how can safety culture and employee wellbeing be improved?  In this article, we will explore these questions and highlight some of the common issues healthcare workers face. 

Common Hazards and Risks in Healthcare

Working in any healthcare setting, be it hospitals, nursing homes, clinics orin clients’ homes, exposes healthcare workers to numerous hazards. Although we will mostly focus on the physical hazards that employees may face in this article, it is worth noting that healthcare workers are also vulnerable to biological and medicinal hazards, such as exposure to the Coronavirus pathogen on daily basis.  

These particular issues can be addressed with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as from other organizations such as OSHA. Additionally, medication safety and infection prevention should be an integral part of comprehensive health and safety policies within healthcare organizations.  

These factors aside, below we identify the most common physical hazards which healthcare workers face in any healthcare setting and how effective risk assessment and decision making can lead to significant improvements on the job.  

Lifting, supporting, and moving patients and equipment

Perhaps the most common injuries amongst healthcare workers come as a result of lifting, supporting, and moving patients. Handling patients often requires a lot of bending, twisting, and reaching which can lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as sprains and strains in backs and shoulders; general back injuries; slipped discs; soft tissue injuries to wrists, arms, shoulders, necks, and legs; chronic pain, and even hernias.  

The risk of injury is greatly increased if the patient is too heavy or too large for the healthcare worker to handle. Despite the safety risks involved, many healthcare workers and caregivers attempt the act even if they are physically unsuitable for the job, resulting in more risk of injury for both the worker and the patient. 

Similar to the risks posed by patients, the moving and handling of equipment also presents significant safety risks to healthcare professional, often resulting in the same injuries one would acquire from handling patients.  

Lifting, lowering, pulling, pushing, carrying, or moving something or someone are tasks that healthcare workers perform almost every working day. This manual handling becomes hazardous when it is high force, involves repetitive movements and/or sustained awkward posture. Unfortunately, the regular handling of people and heavy objects involves all of the above, meaning healthcare workers suffer greatly from these everyday tasks.  

Implementing comprehensive training for patient handling can significantly improve care delivery and simultaneously reduce injuries at work. Better inventory management from healthcare organizations can ensure that equipment can be moved with less manual effort from employees.  Additionally, medical staff at high risk should be provided with the correct equipment, such as lumbar supports, to allow them to lift safely.  

Work-related stress

As well as the physical risk factors involved in the daily routine of healthcare workers, many also suffer from occupational stress which can lead to distress, a decrease in quality of life, burnout and psychosomatic problems.  

This occupational stress then creates a ripple effect and begins to affect other areas of the healthcare system. Patient care suffers and there is an overall increase of risk factors across the entire healthcare system.   

Reducing incidences relating to workplace stress requires careful monitoring of employee wellbeing, as well as ensuring healthcare organizations are properly staffed and not overly reliant on a core group of employees.  

Slips, trips, and falls

Work related slips, trips and falls can result in serious disabling injuries for healthcare workers that greatly impact their ability to do their job. After overexertion, slips, trips, and falls are the second most common cause of injury in healthcare settings. Although most slips, trips and falls are preventable with the right training and awareness, unavoidable situations can always occur. In extreme cases, healthcare workers can seriously injure themselves and become immobilized due to injury. It is possible to reduce response times to, and hence severity of injuries resulting from slips, trips and falls by having staff use wearable panic buttons that can send alerts calling for help.  

Occupational violence

Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a growing concern and an important public health issue. Occupational violence, be it physical or psychological, also has serious implications on the health of healthcare workers, as well as a negative effect on their productivity and the quality of care they can administer to patients.  

Healthcare workers in emergency departments and psychiatric units face higher risks of assault than those in other healthcare settings, however, all healthcare workers are at risk of occupational violence in their work.  A recent study, involving over 331,544 healthcare workers, revealed that a staggering 61.9% of the participants reported exposure to some form of workplace violence.  

These issues can be mitigated or de-escalated with the use of wearable panic buttons. This kind of technology allows healthcare workers to call for help whenever necessary and provide the security department with their exact locations in real-time.  

The ability to immediately call for help provides healthcare workers with an increased sense of security, and ultimately, a decrease in workplace violence and adverse events. Wearable panic buttons are already transforming the hospitality industry and providing workers with a sense of protection, safety and improved job satisfaction knowing their employers care for their well-being.  

Bullying and harassment 

Unfortunately, bullying and harassment are as common in healthcare settings as they are in other industries.  This includes any intentional act that causes physical or emotional harm to another human being. 

It is a worldwide phenomenon and has been described by the World Health Organization as ‘a major public health problem that demands the concerted and coordinated time and attention of healthcare providers, policy-makers and families’. Today, many organizations are working to stamp out this type of behavior, with  The Joint Commission  and the AHRQ among the highest profile outlets offering guidance. 

Wearable panic buttons for healthcare workers

Learn more about the benefits of panic buttons within the healthcare industry and how ROAR for Good’s AlwaysOn technology is redefining the industry standard. Get in touch with a member of the team to discuss your requirements today.