Nursing Research and Sponsored Programs is pleased to highlight this past month’s Featured Publication by Assistant Professor Dr. Rachel Odes, PhD, RN!
Media coverage suggests that hospital workplace violence spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic, but few data sources provide insight into changes during this time. One exception is California’s unique workplace violence reporting system. Dr. Odes and colleagues looked at incident reports and hospital volume data to track trends in different types of hospital units before, during, and after the onset of the pandemic. They found the number of reported incidents remained similar during the pandemic to the number of incidents pre-pandemic, even as patient volume dropped – particularly in the Emergency Department. As hospitals grapple with staffing shortfalls, it is important to address healthcare worker safety concerns, including violence. Also emphasized is the importance of states implementing comprehensive incident reporting systems.
Odes, R.*, Lee, S. J., Hong, O, & Jun, J. 2023. The effect of COVID-19 on workplace violence in California’s hospitals: An interrupted time series analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79 [6], 2337-2347.
*UW-Madison School of Nursing
This post was authored by Emma Schaefer on 04/02/2024.