Trenton Memorial Hospital employees honoured at a meeting of the Quinte Health Care Board of Directors Tuesday, September 25/2018. From left to right, Heather Campbell, Director of Emergency and Primary Care, Michelle Ryan, Inpatient Unit Team Leader, and Ruthann Hubbs, Manager of the Inpatient Unit. (Photo/John Spitters/Quinte News)
Workplace violence isn’t just an abstract concept in a hospital setting. Acts of violence are all too common in hospitals for various
reasons.
At a Quinte Health Care Board of Directors meeting Tuesday at Trenton Memorial Hospital, employees with the hospital’s Inpatient Unit
were recognized for significantly reducing the number of dangerous situations there.
The team working in the Inpatient Unit focused on reducing violence leading to injury to staff and patients and it was successful.
In 2016/17, there were 25 reported workplace violence issues. In 2017/18, there were just 4 incidents.
The Inpatient Unit team has stressed communication and looking out for one another as it goes about its work.
One modification to the way staff reacts to angry patients has been to allow them to cool off before placing them under restraint if at all possible.
That alone has de-escalated several potentially violent situations.
