SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Prevalence of Workplace Violence and Effects of De-Escalation Training Among Hospitalists

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This study examined workplace violence (WPV) among hospitalists at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and evaluated whether a 3-hour de-escalation training improved confidence in handling aggressive patients and visitors.<br /><br />A total of 37 hospitalists participated. Most were relatively early in their careers, with a median age of 36 years and a median of 7 years of work experience. Before training, the survey found a high prevalence of violence in the prior 12 months. Verbal abuse was most common, reported by 83.8% of respondents. Other forms of WPV were also frequent, including racial abuse (29.7%), physical violence (18.9%), and sexual harassment (16.2%). Many participants reported repeated exposure to these behaviors.<br /><br />The training appeared to improve self-reported confidence in coping with patient aggression. Mean confidence scores increased immediately after training and remained higher at 3, 6, and 12–18 months compared with baseline. The trend over time suggested sustained benefit, although the statistical trend was modest (p-trend 0.05).<br /><br />The authors concluded that workplace violence is common among hospitalists, especially from patients and visitors, and that de-escalation training may help hospitalists feel more prepared to manage aggressive situations. However, the study had limitations: confidence was self-reported and may not reflect actual de-escalation skill, and the single-center design limits generalizability.

Asset Subtitle

Ishaan Gupta

Meta Tag

Author List Catherine Washburn, Che M. Harris, Flora Kisuule, Ishaan Gupta, Regina Kauffman, Shaker M. Eid, Venkat P. Gundareddy

Category Research

Concept Workplace Violence

Concept De-escalation Training

Concept Patient Aggression

Concept Hospitalist

Concept Patient

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Presenting Author Ishaan Gupta

Track Patient Safety

Keywords

workplace violence

hospitalists

de-escalation training

patient aggression

verbal abuse

racial abuse

physical violence

sexual harassment

confidence improvement

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Workplace Violence

De-escalation Training

Patient Aggression

Hospitalist

Patient