Preventing Violence at Work

For people across all health careers, violence at work is a real and frightening concern. While it could involve someone you work with, this is highly unlikely to occur. Generally, the problem comes when dealing with patients – some of whom may be suffering from a mental health disorder.
Frustrated Patients in Pain
Other patients are in severe pain or frustrated with the quality of care and the time involved for them as they wait to access care. The culmination of all these factors can be that patients become violent and this is, unfortunately, then directed at those working in health careers. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to calm a potentially violent situation and help protect yourself, other employees and also patients who are not involved in the specific situation that may become violent.Policies at Work to Prevent Violence
Depending on where you work, there will likely be policies in place indicating the correct procedures for dealing with violence in the workplace. Now as well, signs are often put up in highly visible places to communicate to patients the policy regarding staff response to violence.The vast majority of NHS workplaces have strict regulations and rules to protect employees and patients. Usually, these will be communicated when you first start a new role. If they are not explicitly stated, they will normally be provided in written format. You will be expected to know the procedures and should take responsibility to ensure you understand exactly how you must respond to a challenging situation that could escalate to violence in the workplace.
Diffusing a Situation
Not all situations need to become violent ones. Often, there are warning signs and you can learn how to respond to such signs. This helps to diffuse the situation, calm the patient and prevent someone from becoming seriously injured as a result of aggression on the part of the patient.Ask your employer about empathy skills training and any additional training that can help you learn how best to speak with a patient who may be experiencing frustration. Where a patient has a mental health disorder, this can sometimes be more challenging. A patient with schizophrenia may, for instance, feel extremely afraid and paranoid that you are actually going to hurt them. Such situations can be very difficult, particularly as the patient genuinely may not mean to harm you, even where this is the end result.
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