Violence in the healthcare workplace.

Purpose of review: Healthcare workers experience a disproportionate frequency of workplace violence. Identifying commonalities among incidents of workplace violence provides an opportunity for change to prevent and mitigate future violence.

Recent findings: Despite a continued decline in overall workplace violence, the rate of violence in the healthcare sector is steadily rising. While healthcare workers make up 13% of the workforce, they experience 60% of all workplace assaults. Environmental, structural, and staffing issues may all contribute to the increased rates of workplace violence affecting healthcare workers.

Summary: Comprehensive proactive workplace violence prevention programs can significantly reduce the frequency of violence and the negative impact on employees and institutions. Analyzing the factors that contribute to violence in the healthcare workplace provides the potential to mitigate these risks and reduce episodes of violence.