Post-Event Strategies for Workplace Violence Affecting Hospital Staff: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Safety
• Public Health

Background:

• Workplace violence in hospitals is a significant issue with lasting effects.
• Effective post-incident strategies are crucial for mitigating harm and preventing recurrence.
• Current evidence on these strategies is limited, particularly concerning their impact on staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map existing evidence on post-incident strategies for workplace violence in global hospital settings.
• To identify gaps in the current literature.
• To provide direction for future research in this critical area.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
• Narrative synthesis using the Haddon Matrix to categorize strategies.
• Searches conducted across six major databases and Google Scholar in January 2024.

Main Results:

• Twenty-seven articles were included, detailing strategies for staff support, aggressor management, and system-level responses.
• These strategies were often part of broader programs with limited data on their specific effects.
• The focus was predominantly on violence reduction (Safety-I), with less attention to staff perceptions or affective outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The evidence base for tertiary prevention of workplace violence is sparse.
• A shift towards a Safety-II perspective, emphasizing resilience and adaptive performance, is needed.
• Future research should focus on mechanisms of change and outcomes relevant to staff experiences.