2025/01/12 by Christian Schulz, Brendan Lyver, Charlene Reynolds +16 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout #Patient Safety and Medication Errors #Workplace Violence and Bullying
paper · pdf · doi:10.1186/s12873-024-01144-1
openalex publication_date 2025/01/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
BACKGROUND: Globally, healthcare institutions have seen a marked rise in workplace violence (WPV), especially since the Covid-19 pandemic began, affecting primarily acute care and emergency departments (EDs). At the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto, Canada, WPV incidents in EDs jumped 169% from 0.43 to 1.15 events per 1000 visits (p < 0.0001). In response, UHN launched a comprehensive, systems-based quality improvement (QI) project to ameliorate WPV. This study details the development of the project's design and key takeaways, with a focus on presenting trauma-informed strategies for addressing WPV in healthcare through the lens of health systems innovation. METHODS: Our multi-intervention QI initiative was guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) 3.0 framework. We utilized the SEIPS 101 tools to aid in crafting each QI intervention. RESULTS: Using the SEIPS 3.0 framework and SEIPS 101 tools, we gained a comprehensive understanding of organizational processes, patient experiences, and the needs of HCPs and patient-facing staff at UHN. This information allowed us to identify areas for improvement and develop a large-scale QI initiative comprising 12 distinct subprojects to address WPV at UHN. CONCLUSIONS: Our QI team successfully developed a comprehensive QI project tailored to our organization's needs. To support healthcare institutions in addressing WPV, we created a 12-step framework designed to assist in developing a systemic QI approach tailored to their unique requirements. This framework offers actionable strategies for addressing WPV in healthcare settings, derived from the successes and challenges encountered during our QI project. By applying a systems-based approach that incorporates trauma-informed strategies and fosters a culture of mutual respect, institutions can develop strategies to minimize WPV and promote a safer work environment for patients, families, staff, and HCPs.