Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for Activating a Behavioral Emergency Response Team

Health care workers are confronted with workplace violence daily. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in 2018, 73% of all nonfatal injuries or illnesses involving health care workplace violence were from patients and/or family members. This quality improvement project aimed to decrease workplace violence using a behavioral emergency response team.

During the project period, the behavioral emergency response team protocol was not activated. Analysis, reduction, and management of risk in health care settings are essential to help reduce and prevent adverse events and errors. A failure modes and effects analysis process was used to analyze the rationale for the lack of process activation.

Failure modes and effects analysis findings suggest that although ED staff can recognize escalating behaviors from patients, 45% of surveyed staff (n = 9) were unaware of how to activate a behavioral emergency response team.

Early recognition of escalating behaviors could possibly help prevent further violence from taking place in a health care setting. Therefore, it is important for staff members to quickly acknowledge behavioral cues to help reduce the risk of violence from happening. This highlights the importance of increased marketing to ensure that team members are aware of the protocols in place to help decrease opportunities for workplace violence once behavioral cues are recognized.