Reporting Incidents of Workplace Violence Effective Date: 2019 Overview
The rate of violence against health care workers has reached epidemic proportions. According to a 2012 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), health care workers in inpatient facilities experienced workplace violence-related injuries requiring days off from work at a rate at least five to 12 times higher than the rate of private-sector workers overall. This type of violence includes incidences of violence against registered nurses (RNs) by patients, patients’ family members and external individuals, and it includes physical, sexual and psychological assaults.