Violence against healthcare workers has reached high levels. Workplace violence is an incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted while at work, including verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, sexual and physical assault.
Your employer has a legal duty to put measures in place that protect the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees. Even when there are staff shortages, which strain the workforce, this legal duty remains.
Everyone will respond differently when experiencing workplace violence. You might struggle to make sense of being assaulted or you might have come to accept it as something “that just happens in your job”. The safety of patients is equal to your safety.
It might be helpful to consider:
- Reporting the incident to your manager and police
- See your employer’s policy as it might help to know what processes to follow
- Being assaulted at work can be potentially traumatic. In addition to physical injuries, you might also be feeling numb, anxious, traumatised and stressed. Seek support from someone you trust, your manager or occupational health.