Hospital Workplace Violence - Self Defense Training For Nurses Includes Many Non-Combative Options

Workplace violence in the healthcare sector has- 1) Strategic Positioning. This is similar to what
hit an all-time high! Statistics show that, typically,police officers are taught when knocking on
the average nurse is assaulted on the job 1 to 3doors, interacting with drivers during a traffic
times a year and very few facilities have anythingstop, etc. Nurses can be taught to adjust where
more than a "shell" policy to address this problemthey stand or position themselves relative to their
and prevent injury to it's staff.patients to make it difficult for the person to hurt
Are you concerned about the problem ofthem if they lashed out and became violent.
workplace violence effecting nurses and other- 2) Body language. By becoming more aware of
medical professionals? Well, you're not alone.the conscious and unconscious interpretations that
In fact, the healthcare industry has awakened towe can have when we see different body
this very real problem in the past few years.language cues, the caregiver can learn to avoid
Administrators have found that previousthose that might trigger a negative response -
assumptions and policies about workplace violence,while also choosing cues that can easily and
as it relates to hospitals and the medical industryeffectively defuse a potentially hostile workplace
in general, have done little to deter or prevent theviolence situation.
countless injuries to nurses and caregivers. In- 3) Vocal skills. This is the same as body language
fact, the problem has escalated to the pointbut where we can consciously and deliberately
where the healthcare profession is ranked thirdcontrol the use of our voice. Speech patterns,
among all non-law enforcement and securityrhythm, and vocal intonation can all be powerful
occupations in the number of incidents whichtools for defending yourself in a workplace
occur!violence encounter.
Third! Among all other professions!- 4) Environmental Control. Often, caregivers are
And, the sad fact is that medical professionals aretrapped in a violent situation because of the
not being targeted by their own co-workers - butlayout of the clinic in which they work. Simple
by their patients - the very people that they arechanges to your work environment - from exam
trying to help!rooms to customer service counters - can be
Many leaders, as-well-as staff-duty nurses whomade that will aid in avoidance, evasion, and
work with patients everyday, are calling for moreescape tactics, while also serving to control the
workplace violence self-defense training gearedflow of action should a physical workplace violence
toward nurses and patient care professionals.attack occur.
Unfortunately, most administrators confuse selfAs you can see, if you're really looking for viable
defense with fighting and therefore are concernedsolutions to helping your nursing staff to be able
about the possibility of more violence if theirto employ self defense tactics to deal with
nurses and staff members were trained in selfviolence in the workplace, there are many more
defense tactics.options available than merely teaching them how
As a way to show the difference betweento fight!
fighting and actual defensive tactics trainingWhat if you could get this type of training while
geared toward workplace violence prevention,also saving your organization from the financial
here are 4 areas of workplace violence defensiveand other losses from lost-time, employee
tactics training that have absolutely nothing to doturn-over, legal liability, and negative PR that often
with fighting - and everything to do witharise out of incidents involving violence in the
empowering doctors and nurses to avoid, evade,workplace? How? By instituting defensive training
and prevent a dangerous workplace violencetactics that both keeps your staff safe AND
attack from hurting them or others that they aremaintains a high level of professionalism and liability
responsible for.control!