Unfortunately, violence against healthcare workers is an increasing problem nationally and locally. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than employees in other industries.
This trend is unacceptable. That’s why Butler has consistently taken a collaborative and multifaceted approach to improving employee safety, including these initiatives:
- Health & Safety Committee: This committee is comprised of both front-line staff and hospital leaders. In 2021, it was reconfigured and empowered in partnership with SEIU 1199 NE. Addressing workplace violence, assaults, and security events is specifically identified as committee objectives in the group charter.
- The committee has the authority to develop policy, procedures, and protocols.
- While the committee meets monthly, it may be convened more often as needed based on what is happening in the Hospital.
- Over the last year, the Health & Safety Committee has reviewed dozens of topics, including circumstances around assault and restraint incidents, the process for reporting assaults to law enforcement, reporting procedures for improved shift to shift and department to department communication, recruitment for the CISM team, and others.
- Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team: Designed to support staff with the psychological impact of traumatic events, this team is available to respond following critical incidents. Trained colleagues meet with the affected employee to conduct a critical incident stress debriefing and to ensure awareness of additional support resources like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Enhancing Awareness and Understanding of Workplace Violence: Reporting any threat or violent episode is extremely important. Reporting allows Butler to study each situation and identify opportunities to improve safety. To that end, Butler has provided training on ways to report threats and incidents of violence or injuries, and Care New England is currently preparing a systemwide employee survey to further understand the workplace violence situation.
- Rhode Island Hospital Staff Safety Laws: Butler is in compliance with all Rhode Island hospital safety laws, including 2022 healthcare safety legislation developed in part by union members.
Additional Safety Enhancements:
| Assistance with filing of police reports for staff who are victims of assault | Recent pilot offering specialized programming for specific patient demographics |
| Step-by-step guidelines to assist staff when patient-to-staff assaults occur | Process to capture and track incidents of discrimination and hate-related crimes against staff |
| Increased communication to staff via clinical considerations submitted for patients with aggressive tendencies | Encouragement and instructions for accessing EAP for victims of assault |
| Enhanced Visitor Screening process, including use of metal detection, drug K9s, and close coordination between units and security | Training for staff around trauma-informed care |
What Butler is Proposing:
In our April 8 negotiating session with SEIU 1199 NE, Butler proposed forming a specialized Workplace Violence Prevention Task Force that would report to the Health & Safety Committee for the purpose of reviewing current protocols, training, and reporting procedures related to workplace violence. It would also work to identify systemic and department-level opportunities for safety improvements. This task force would supplement the work of the current Health & Safety Committee.
We care about your safety, and we will continue to make sure everyone feels safe at Butler.
