Employee Monitoring Assists in Health Care Violence Prevention
Health care employers are considering employee monitoring for safety of home health care workers and others working alone in the field. According to a Bureau of Labor statistics analysis, violence against medical staff is the most common source of non-fatal injury resulting in time off work in the health care industry. SoloProtect provides a safety solution for health care worker safety.
Dallas, Texas, November 17, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Health care providers are beginning to use employee monitoring to protect home health care workers, nurses and doctors. Home health care employees don’t expect their jobs to be easy. Hard work, stress, exhaustion and working with sights, smells and sounds that would make the average person run for the hills are their daily lot. They may not expect comfort and ease, but they should expect to be protected from abuse and harm. Employee monitoring can adequately assist health care employers in keeping their lone workers and in-house employees safe.
Workplace violence is a hazard in nearly every industry, especially industries that employ lone workers. People who work in the health care profession are prime targets for both verbal and physical violence – violence that can involve clients, visitors, strangers, and other workers. Researchers have found that physical violence affects nurses in almost all work environments and all regions of the world.*
"Every year, 500,000 nurses from all types of health care jobs are victims of violence. Ensuring that every worker returns home safely at the end of a hard day's work is an employer's most basic responsibility. Healthcare employers are considering employee monitoring for safety."
Dennis Mason, President, SoloProtect
According to a Bureau of Labor statistics analysis, violence against medical staff is the most common source of non-fatal injury resulting in time off work in the health care industry. Over 70% of emergency nurses report verbal or physical assaults by both patients and visitors as they were providing care.**
However, health care industry violence often goes unreported, and when many medical workers suffer, no one knows. Beyond the initial pain and trauma of abuse, the consequences of workplace violence against a health care worker include decreased work productivity, post traumatic stress symptoms and even death. The culture of acceptance of workplace violence must stop. Legislation has its place, but only employee monitoring can adequately assist employers in keeping their lone or in-house workers safe.
Home health care, in particular, carries unique risks, even compared with other health-related fields. Uncontrolled and unpredictable home environments can leave a lone health worker unprotected and in danger. Verbal or physical abuse from a client,their family members or visitors; a client’s household hazards; and verbal or physical violence, robbery or vandalism from members of the surrounding community all present real danger to the lone home health employee. Employee monitoring devices assist lone workers and employers in tracking employees for safety.
In order to promote and provide the safety and security of health workers in the field – or of health workers on site – it’s vital for employers to have a comprehensive worker safety plan in place. Not only do active prevention plans effectively reduce the risk and occurrence of violent events, but they also improve staff perceptions of their own safety, leading to greater staff retention. Safety solutions for employee monitoring can adequately assist employers in keeping their lone health care workers safe.
Monitoring of employees is a proven way to ensure employee safety through discreet and instant access to emergency personnel. Employee monitoring supplies lone health workers with safety measures that are unattainable with any other type of training or prevention program. Employee monitoring provides all health care employees the means to receive immediate help in man-down situations, even when they are unable to physically request help due to an injury. Employee monitoring gives employers the ability to protect their staff, their reputations and their bottom line.
SoloProtect provides a unique solution for home health care employee monitoring. With the touch of a button, your lone or in-house workers can reach an emergency responder 24/7/365. If your health care employee is injured or feels threatened, he or she can discreetly alert our emergency service, and together, we can protect those who protect others for a living. Their protection and your peace of mind are our highest priorities.
Health care workers: doctors, nurses and medical staff, including home health care employees should feel safe at work. For more information on how you can safeguard your workers, call SoloProtect at 866-632-6577. Because only employee monitoring can adequately assist employers in keeping their lone or in-house workers safe.