Workplace Violence Prevention in the Emergency Department Utilizing the Broset Violence Checklist

Abstract

Workplace violence (WPV) is an epidemic in healthcare and is particularly a problem in high-risk areas of the hospital, such as the Emergency Department (ED). Literature reviewed consisted of minimal information supporting a proactive tool to identify patients at risk for violence in the ED. The focus of this project was to implement the Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) in the ED to proactively identify patients at high risk for violence and allow staff to intervene before the patient escalates to the point of violence. The BVC was completed on every patient placed in a room in the ED over five months. The measured outcomes included Registered Nurse (RN) compliance with the tool, RN assaults, public safety officers (PSO) needing to lay hands on a patient versus standing by, and behavioral restraint usage. The results showed a 94.5% compliance rate with the tool, a decrease in RN assaults and PSOs laying hands on patients, and an increase in behavioral restraints.