Can Urgent Care Do More to Ensure Team Members Are Safe at Work?

Healthcare facilities have seen violence against workers and patients in the U.S. recently, begging the question as to whether there is any level of protection that is both reasonable and sufficient to ensure the safety of all on site. First four people in Tulsa, OK—two physicians, a receptionist, and a patient—were shot to death by a disgruntled patient and then days later a man walked into an Encino, CA emergency room and stabbed a physician and two nurses. While local media have reported that a motive for the California attack is unknown so far, an article published by MedPage Today noted key factors that could be possible red flags for patient conflict or violence in general. Those include patients known to be dissatisfied with their care “and when there are changes made to care in the provision of opioids, as well as situations involving workers’ compensation litigation.” The article also points out that responsibility for taking note of potentially dangerous situations and patients rests on the shoulders of everyone working on site, from clinical staff to front-end personnel. We all know that the potential for danger takes many forms and that sometimes, unfortunately, the biggest threat is a team member. You’re not powerless to try to prevent or to deal with such situations, however. Read Dealing With and Preventing a Hostile Work Environment in Urgent Care in the JUCM archive to learn more.