01.13.2025
Article
The Importance of Early Disclosures in Healthcare
An early response and investigation are key to handling events. We want our members to know that we are here to help ensu...
Learn MoreBefore the start of the pandemic, acts of healthcare violence were on an upward trend; and even now, the industry is still scrambling on how to adjust. Unfortunately, there is still a high tendency for healthcare professionals to overlook negative patient body language, even though these signs can easily signal a looming act of violence.
So how can we help prevent workplace violence? One solution is to take the proactive approach: engage in workplace violence prevention training that illustrates how to recognize the early signs of conflict, triggers, and patient anxiety, so every worker can better mitigate risk before significant incidents occur.
Workplace violence prevention training is available in many forms for all types of industries—from interactive sessions like seminars, webinars, and on-site training to learn-at-your-own-pace options like ebooks, toolkits, and guidebooks. In this article, we will take a look at some simple ways to recognize potential aggression (or anxiety that can lead to aggression) and review response tactics you can use to de-escalate.
Some of the biggest triggers of anxiety and patient aggression are frustration, anger, and fear. Here are some of the typical root causes of those triggers to look for in your encounters:
Just like other behavioral patterns, the stages of conflict can typically be recognized. Stages of conflict (also referred to as the spectrum of violence) first begins with anxiety. For example, a patient is upset about an appointment starting late. Even while they sit and wait, they could quickly begin to show verbal aggression that could eventually become physical.
However, with close observation, you can identify early warning behaviors by looking for signs of patient anxiety at initial contact.
Common signs of patient anxiety include:
How you approach challenging behavior may vary based on your personal experience and past training. Generally, here are some agreed-upon steps to follow to limit these behaviors in patients and visitors:
Sometimes, the unintentional ways we say or do things can further escalate aggression or violence in the workplace. This can be especially true in healthcare. With this in mind, we suggest avoiding harsh, aggressive or abrupt statements when speaking to anxious or upset individuals. Commands can come across as controlling or aggressive from your end, so it’s better to lead with softer “I” language that clearly communicates how you feel and what you’d like them to do.
Don’t say things such as “You must….”, “Don’t…..”, or “Stop…….”. Instead, use alternatives that utilize “I’ language like “I would like you to…” or “It would help me if……” or “ I feel scared when…….”. You can see our complete checklist of phrases to avoid when dealing with aggressive patients.
When challenging behavior happens:
Sometimes all the best dialogue won’t be enough to ward off an unexpected attack. That’s where MOAB (Management of Aggressive Behavior) training for healthcare comes in. MOAB training in healthcare focuses on principles, techniques, and skills for recognizing, reducing, and managing violent and aggressive behavior in medical environments such as hospitals, clinics, and private practices.
During one of these programs, healthcare professionals can pick up valuable skills and strategies for safely managing and de-escalating aggressive or potentially violent situations in healthcare settings.
With these skills, healthcare professionals can ultimately reduce risk in the patient care environment and compassionately handle aggressive visitors and patients—all while delivering a high level of care. This is why we highly recommend MOAB training for all healthcare workers and facility leaders.
Considering that most healthcare employees will encounter an anxious or aggressive visitor to their facility at some point in their career, MOAB training can realistically benefit anyone who works in a healthcare environment, from the intake staff and receptionists all the way up to facility administrators. However, there are some groups that face a higher-than-average risk of dealing with challenging behavior. Here are some key groups who should prioritize taking MOAB healthcare training:
Nurses: Because nurses work on the front lines of patient care, they are frequently exposed to patients or family members who may be agitated or aggressive due to illness, pain, or stress.
Primary Care Physicians & Specialists: Physicians (especially those working in emergency departments, urgent care or behavioral health settings) may face volatile patients on a regular basis.
Mental Health Professionals: Psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, behavioral health professionals, and therapists frequently work with individuals dealing with mental health crises or emotional disturbances that can lead to aggressive or violent behavior.
Emergency Room (ER) and Trauma Staff: ER and trauma departments often handle high-stress situations where patients or visitors might experience severe anxiety, panic, or anger and become aggressive.
Healthcare Facility Security Personnel: Security staff working in hospitals or clinics often need to respond to aggressive situations or individuals. MOAB training equips these workers with non-violent methods to lower aggression and ensure a safe environment.
Assisted Living Facility & Home Health Professionals: Caregivers working in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or private residences may experience aggression from family members or patients with dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other mentally debilitating conditions.
Social Workers: Clinical social workers often have to manage emotionally distressed or aggressive clients, whether in healthcare facilities or home settings. These professionals can benefit from learning strategies to manage and de-escalate confrontations.
While these groups may benefit the most from these skills, any healthcare professional or staff member who regularly interacts with patients, family members, or the public should consider some type of workplace violence training to help make their facilities safer for everyone.
Learn more here about MOAB training offered by LHA Trust Funds here.
Glenn Eiserloh, CHSP
Senior Risk Consultant, LHA Trust Funds
Glenn Eiserloh has more than 17 years of loss prevention and risk management experience. Mr. Eiserloh has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of New Orleans in Finance with a concentration in insurance. He provides consultation services relative to workplace loss prevention, safety training, general liability risk reduction, worksite safety inspections, and trend analysis.
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