A Workplace Violence Prevention Plan does not end when an incident begins.
Yet, in many hospitals, violence prevention and emergency preparedness are managed as separate programs. One focuses on reducing risk; the other focuses on responding to disruptions. When these functions operate independently, organizations can find themselves unprepared the moment coordinated action matters most.
Healthcare workers dedicate their careers to caring for others, yet they face one of the highest risks of workplace violence of any profession. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare and social assistance industry accounted for 72.8% of all nonfatal workplace violence cases requiring days away from work, job restriction, or transfer in private industry during 2021 and 2022. The financial burden is also significant: the American Hospital Association estimates that violence cost US hospitals $18.27 billion in 2023, including prevention efforts, treatment, staffing impacts, and post-event recovery. From verbal threats and aggressive behavior to physical assaults, hospitals and healthcare systems are confronting a growing challenge that affects employee well-being, patient care, organizational resilience, and regulatory compliance.
For many organizations, Workplace Violence Prevention Programs and emergency preparedness plans exist separately. One sits with safety or human resources (HR). The other falls under emergency management, security, or business continuity. While both are important, treating them as independent programs creates dangerous gaps when an incident occurs.
Workplace violence is not confined to one business function; it weaves through safety, emergency preparedness, business continuity, and leadership. Dollar for dollar, prevention efforts are the best investment for organizations, but preparing for post-event response is a reality not to be ignored. A thoughtful and organized response mitigates the physical, emotional, and financial impacts to workers, patients, the community, and the organization.
“Hospitals and healthcare are right to focus on violence prevention efforts, but if prevention measures fail, a fully prepared response plan helps the affected people and organizations competently cope with an event and bound back better,” says Kerri Greene, Principal Consultant. “The strongest programs bring prevention, emergency response, and organizational resilience together so employees know how to recognize risks, respond effectively, and recover quickly.”
Why healthcare faces unique risks
Unlike many workplaces, hospitals operate around the clock and serve people experiencing some of the most stressful moments of their lives. Patients may be in pain, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, experiencing behavioral health crises, or reacting to fear and uncertainty. Family members can also become agitated when emotions run high.
These realities create an environment where the risk of violence can develop quickly and unexpectedly.
Adding to the challenge, healthcare organizations are already navigating staffing shortages, burnout concerns, financial pressures, and increasing patient volumes.
Healthcare’s workforce and financial pressures are further intensifying the risk environment. Physician appointment wait times have surged 19% since 2022, while ongoing nursing shortages continue to strain care teams already managing high patient demand. At the same time, rising operating costs and shrinking margins are limiting hospitals’ ability to absorb disruption. Together, these pressures can increase stress across clinical settings and reduce staffing flexibility, making it harder for organizations to recover quickly when a workplace violence incident occurs.
A serious event can disrupt operations, increase absenteeism, affect employee morale, damage organizational reputation, and compromise patient care. In some cases, the consequences can linger long after the incident itself.
“Workplace violence affects much more than the immediate victim,” Greene explains. “It impacts coworkers, leadership teams, patients, and an organization's ability to repair, rebuild, restaff, and continue delivering care safely and effectively.”
Prevention is not enough
Most hospitals have taken important steps to prevent workplace violence. Employee training and de-escalation techniques, violence prevention programs, security measures, facility changes, and technology upgrades are becoming increasingly common.
These efforts are critical, but even well-designed prevention programs cannot eliminate every threat.
When an incident occurs, organizations need employees who know exactly how to respond, leaders who understand their roles, and emergency procedures that integrate seamlessly with existing operations.
Healthcare organizations routinely prepare for fires, severe weather, utility failures, cybersecurity incidents, and infectious disease outbreaks. Workplace violence events deserve the same level of planning and preparedness.
Without a coordinated response framework, confusion can delay protective actions, increase injuries, and prolong recovery efforts.
Connecting violence prevention and emergency preparedness
Organizations should view workplace violence prevention and emergency preparedness as two parts of the same resilience strategy.
A comprehensive approach begins with identifying risks and implementing preventive controls. It then extends into emergency response planning, crisis communications, employee accountability, business continuity, and recovery procedures.
For hospitals, that means asking questions such as:
- Do employees know how to report threats before they escalate?
- Are emergency response protocols aligned with violence prevention procedures?
- Have clinical, security, HR, and leadership teams practiced coordinated response scenarios?
- Can critical operations continue if a serious incident disrupts a department or facility?
- How will employees, patients, families, and external stakeholders receive information during and after an incident?
The answers reveal whether an organization is truly prepared.
“Preparedness builds systems, training, and decision-making processes that help people act confidently and make quality decisions under pressure,” says Greene.
Building a culture of preparedness
Workplace violence prevention is part of a larger culture of safety and resilience. That culture starts with leadership commitment. Employees need to know that concerns will be taken seriously; incidents will be reported and corrected without fear of retaliation, and resources are available to support affected workers.
It also requires regular exercises and drills that test how violence prevention and emergency response programs work together. Scenario-based training helps teams identify weaknesses, strengthen coordination, and improve confidence before a real event occurs.
Technology, physical security measures, and reporting systems all play important roles, but preparedness ultimately depends on people.
New standard for healthcare safety
As workplace violence regulations continue to evolve and expectations surrounding employee safety increase, healthcare organizations have an opportunity to rethink how they approach risk.
“Healthcare organizations cannot afford to see workplace violence prevention and emergency preparedness as separate initiatives,” Greene concludes. “When they work together, hospitals create safer environments for employees, better outcomes for patients, and stronger organizational resilience.”
Ready to strengthen your hospital’s workplace violence prevention and emergency preparedness strategy?
