Violence in the Emergency Department.
Violence is common in the emergency department (ED). The ED setting has numerous environmental risk factors for violence, including poor staffing, lack of privacy, overcrowding, and ready availability of nonsecured equipment that can be used as weapons. Strategies can be taken to mitigate the risk of violence toward health care workers, including staff training, changes to the ED layout, appropriate use of security, and policy-level changes. Health care providers in the ED should be familiar with local case law and standards related to the duty to warn third parties when a violent threat is made by a patient.
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 Ohara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Electronic address: stowellkr@upmc.edu.
Keith R
KR
Stowell
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 Ohara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Nolan P
NP
Hughes
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 Ohara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
John S
JS
Rozel
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*; D000078329:Workforce; D064450:Workplace Violence / Q000517:prevention & control*
Aggression; Emergency department; Emergency psychiatry; Healthcare violence; Violence