Our Patients are Safe When We Are Safe: Workplace Violence and Back Injury Prevention in Health Care Facilities

Course Description

Nurses and other health care workers experience some of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses of any occupation in the United States. Most nurses experience back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders at some point in their career. Workplace violence continues to accelerate and can cause both physical injuries and significant anxiety, stress, and trauma for nurses. Both musculoskeletal injuries and workplace violence are major contributors to nurses leaving the profession. And the reality is, when nurses are at risk, patients are also at risk.

Health care employers have a legal and ethical obligation to provide a safe and healthy care environment free from hazards. This class will analyze the issues of workplace violence and back injuries and how they threaten nurses’ health and safety at work. We will examine the evidence on available prevention measures that would effectively protect nurses and patients. The class will conclude with a discussion regarding the tools that nurses can use to advocate for safer patient care conditions.