Interventions to reduce the risk of violence toward emergency department staff: current approaches

Abstract

Nicola Ramacciati,1,2 Andrea Ceccagnoli,2 Beniamino Addey,3 Enrico Lumini,4 Laura Rasero1,5 1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, 2Emergency Department, S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital, 3Emergency Medical System, S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, 4Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, 5Research and Development Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy Introduction: The phenomenon of workplace violence in health care settings, and especially in the emergency department (ED), has assumed the dimensions of a real epidemic. Many studies highlight the need for methods to ensure the safety of staff and propose interventions to address the problem. Aim: The aim of this review was to propose a narrative of the current approaches to reduce workplace violence in the ED, with a particular focus on evaluating the effectiveness of emergency response programs. Methods: A search was conducted between December 1, 2015 and December 7, 2015, in PubMed and CINAHL. Ten intervention studies were selected and analyzed. Results: Seven of these interventions were based on sectoral interventions and three on comprehensive actions. Conclusion: The studies that have attempted to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions have shown weak evidence to date. Further research is needed to identify effective actions to promote a safe work environment in the ED. Keywords: workplace violence, violence prevention and control, emergency department, aggression, security, review

Keywords

• Workplace Violence
• Violence prevention and control
• Emergency Department
• Aggression
• Security
• Review.