According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers accounted for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence in 2018 (the latest year with available data) and were five times more likely to be punched, kicked, bitten, beaten, choked, and assaulted on the job than all other workers. Some have even faced stabbings and shootings.
Surveys show that workplace violence in healthcare has only worsened since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, fueling an exodus of healthcare workers nationwide.
The November 2023 National Institutes of Health Aggressive Incident and Management study confirms it: hospital staff face an average of 1.17 aggressive events—verbal and/or physical—for every 40 hours worked. These incidents were more common when staff had significantly higher patient loads. "Waiting for care" was among the most frequent triggers of aggression.
Low staffing drives up stress for both patients and staff. When a healthcare worker isn't available to meet an agitated patient's needs, situations can escalate quickly into verbal abuse or physical violence. This is not acceptable. Workplace violence is not "just part of the job."
