Many healthcare practitioners are currently facing a wide range of workplace challenges. Workplace abuse has become common in different healthcare settings. Some of these challenges include “physical assaults, verbal abuses, aggressiveness, discrimination, and even murder” (Papa & Vanella, 2013, p. 3). This essay describes specific issues such as the major precipitating factors, institutional culpabilities, staff culpabilities, and legal liabilities. The paper also analyzes the nine-stage model of intervention towards dealing with workplace violence.
Precipitating Factors
Several factors have been observed to expose more practitioners to different violent behaviors. For example, female workers have higher chances of being abused (Gacki-Smith et al., 2009). Individuals from diverse cultural, economic, and religious backgrounds might also be abused. Some institutions lack appropriate guidelines to support the needs of their employees. The absence of proper workplace principles and ethics also promotes such misbehaviors. Poor health leadership also encourages more practitioners to abuse their workplaces. Improper decision-making practices “force different workers to revenge or abuse their fellow teammates” (Gacki-Smith et al., 2009, p. 344).
Institutional Culpability
An institution that lacks effective leadership strategies and problem-solving methods will record different violent behaviors. Facilities discouraging the power of teamwork will also encounter similar challenges (Papa & Vanella, 2013). Poor workplace ethics and guidelines will also produce similar problems.
Staff Culpability
Members of staff will encounter numerous problems depending on the issues associated with the targeted institution. For example, female workers have higher chances of encountering workplace violence. Senior nurses and caregivers tend to threaten their juniors (Gacki-Smith et al., 2009). Individuals from minority groups are also culpable. Poor staff support discourages many caregivers from reporting their problems. This scenario encourages more practitioners to engage in different misbehaviors and abuses.
Legal Liability
These issues encourage many nations and states to identify new workplace laws. Some states expect every facility to establish powerful prevention programs for its employees. New laws have also “emerged to discipline and punish individuals convicted of assaults or violence” (Papa & Vanella, 2013, p. 12). Such convicts might be imprisoned or fined depending on the severity of the assault. Workers “who commit such workplace abuses have higher chances of losing their jobs and registrations” (Peter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2013, p. 48). Many institutions are “supposed to have powerful prevention programs or face sanctions” (Papa & Vanella, 2013, p. 5). Such legal measures have been undertaken to support the changing needs of many healthcare practitioners.
The Nine-Stage Model of Intervention
The nine-stage model of intervention proposed by Piercy has the potential to deal with workplace violence (James & Gilliland, 2012). The nine stages include “education, avoidance of conflict, appeasement, deflection, timeout, a show of force, seclusion, restraints, and sedation” (James & Gilliland, 2012, p. 555). The main goal of these stages is to support the dignity and rights of every health worker. The decision to educate more workers will encourage them to support the best behaviors. The use of avoidance techniques will reduce the major precipitating factors. Appeasement also encourages more caregivers to focus on the best actions.
The “concepts of timeout and deflection will ensure the institution embraces the best strategies to deal with violence” (James & Gilliland, 2012, p. 556). The use of force and adequate principles will produce positive behaviors among the targeted caregivers. The concepts of restraint and sedation will also address the issues affecting the workplace (James & Gilliland, 2012). Health leaders (HLs) and administrators should examine the nature of the problems affecting their institutions (Peter-O’Grady & Malloch, 2013). This understanding will make it easier for them to use the nine-stage model wisely. The model will address the existing conflicts and re-pattern the ideas possessed by different workers. The practice will eventually deal with every form of workplace violence.
Reference List
Gacki-Smith, J., Juarez, A., Boyett, L., Homeyer, C., Robinson, L., & MacLean, S. (2009). Violence Against Nurses Working in US Emergency Departments. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 39(7), 340-349.
James, R., & Gilliland, B. (2012). Crisis Intervention Strategies. New York, NY: Pearson.
Papa, A., & Vanella, J. (2013). Workplace Violence in Healthcare: Strategies for Advocacy. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18(1), 1-19.
Peter-O’Grady, T., & Malloch, K. (2013). Leadership in Nursing Practice: Changing the Landscape of Health Care. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett.