According to the AONE Guiding Principles: Mitigating Violence in the Workplace:"Workplace violence is an increasingly recognized safety issue in the health care community. Workplace violence is generally defined as any act or threat of physical assault, harassment, intimidation and other coercive behavior. It also includes lateral violence, or bullying, between colleagues (e.g. nurse/nurse, doctor/nurse, etc.). In 2010, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported health care and social assistance workers were the victims of approximately 11,370 assaults by persons. While workplace violence against health care professionals can and does happen everywhere, the hospital emergency department is among the most vulnerable settings. According to a 2011 study by the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), 54.5 percent out of 6,504 emergency nurses experienced physical violence and/or verbal abuse from a patient and/or visitor during the past week. The actual rate of incidences of violence is much higher as many incidents go unreported, due in part to the perception that assaults are ‘part of the job.’”

Case Study

As the Assistant Chief Nursing Officer of a 200-bed acute care community hospital, you have been concerned about a number of lateral violence-related complaints among staff. You have decided to take a decisive stand and have assembled staff for a live address about the topic.  Create a speech to all staff to provide clear, decisive direction about incivility, bullying, and workplace violence. Include the following aspects in the assignment:

• Review the ANA position statement on incivility, bullying, and workplace violence
• Review the entirety of the AONE Guiding Principles: Mitigating Violence in the Workplace
• Create the message you wish to send to all personnel at your agency or a previous agency at which you worked.

NOTE- just write 2 pages of what message you will deliver in a message to address staff.