Occupational Violence Course CDC

A Time I Witnessed or Experienced Occupational Violence

During one of my shifts as a CNA, I saw a nurse being verbally abused by one of the patient’s relatives. The family was distressed about the patient’s condition, hence verbally abused the nurse. They also threatened her and engaged in a physical altercation in the presence of other staff members and patients: Occupational Violence Course CDC.

The nurse tried to stay composed and explain the situation, but the family grew more aggressive. Through the experience of this incident, I could see how rampant workplace violence is in the health sector. To promote workplace safety, I will ensure zero workplace violence tolerance and teach other workers how to prevent violence and report incidents.

Recognizing Signs of Crisis and Strategies to Ensure Personal Safety

I need to identify crises in myself to ensure I am not at risk. There are specific symptoms that I will pay attention to, for instance, constantly feeling overworked, having too many headaches, being easily irritable to colleagues or clients, and being unable to focus. I will ensure I deal with stress correctly when I see such signs. Some measures that I would employ include taking deep breaths, taking a break when needed, and time management.

I will also consult staff members, supervisors or psychologists when I feel emotionally overwhelmed. Lastly, I will recommend health-promoting activities that will enable the staff to be relaxed and free to discuss issues related to stress and how they can handle them (Cohen et al., 2023). This is because prioritizing self-care will make me calm and give the best to my patients while guaranteeing the safety of my life.

Frustration in the Work Environment and its Impact on Patients

A challenge I find frustrating is staff shortage in the workplace. Inadequate staffing of healthcare workers means that there will be insufficient workforce to address the health needs of patients for a given period, which poses stress on both staff and patients. I have witnessed patients getting annoyed because they are not attended to for several hours when they ring their call bells, or they get delayed attention. This may result in dissatisfaction and high tension within the healthcare sector.

In response to this problem, I will join the management meetings and discussions on staffing problems, for instance, lack of adequate staff or improving shift scheduling (Nwobodo et al., 2023). I will also collaborate with my team to guarantee that any patient’s demands are meant to be fulfilled while ensuring patients that their complaints are attended to.

An Upsetting Interpersonal Situation

There was a particular shift when my senior nurse scolded me in front of all my colleagues for not being able to complete a task fast enough to his expectations. She raised the tone and started questioning me with such an attitude that made me feel embarrassed and unappreciated. Although I know the shift duty pushed her, I never expected such an approach. I got frustrated because I was trying my level best, considering the workload assigned to me.

My Response and Reason for Silence

At that moment, I did not make any comments because I did not wish the situation to get out of control or be rude. I also felt that answering would only provoke further complaints or make things awkward between me and the senior nurse at work. However, I directed my attention to the accomplishment of my tasks in the best way that I could manage while containing my feelings inwardly. Later, I thought about the situation and understood that approaching it professionally could have helped to sort out all the misunderstandings and improve communication.

Examples of Verbal Responses

1. “I appreciate your feedback but, in the future, I would like to discuss this in private.”
2. “I understand that it needs to be done faster, and I will exercise some effort to do it faster. If there is a more efficient way of performing this task, I would be glad to learn it.”

Preventing Workplace Bullying: Three Strategies

1. Self-Awareness: I will take time on a daily basis to assess myself to ensure that I respect my colleagues (Klussman et al., 2022).
2. Feedback: I will ask some of my colleagues and respected supervisors to give me feedback about my communication as to whether it is professional or not.
3. Conflict Resolution: I will attend courses on conflict management to learn how a person can manage conflicts in an organization politely and professionally.

References

Cohen, C., Pignata, S., Bezak, E., Tie, M., & Childs, J. (2023). Workplace interventions to improve well-being and reduce burnout for nurses, physicians and allied healthcare professionals: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 13(6), e071203. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-071203

Klussman, K., Curtin, N., Langer, J., & Nichols, A. L. (2022). The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: A framework for understanding self-connection. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 18(1), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.3707

Nwobodo, E. P., Strukcinskiene, B., Razbadauskas, A., Grigoliene, R., & Agostinis-Sobrinho, C. (2023). Stress Management in Healthcare Organizations: The Nigerian Context. Healthcare, 11(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11212815

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*To be completed anytime throughout the semester – due with SIM Day 4 documents

LINK: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-155/

Complete this course (approximately 3 hours) & submit a screenshot of proof of completion to the Sim Day 4 assignments folder. The training includes video clips, so please bring headphones if you plan to work on it on campus. Please complete all supplemental and additional resource material that comes up; they provide a wealth of information. After completion, reflect on the following:

Occupational Violence Course CDC

1. Write about a time you witnessed or were the target of occupational violence. How will you advocate to keep nurses safe in the workplace? (100-word minimum length)

2. Internationally, an estimated 30% of nurses want to leave their positions because of worker-on-worker violence and abuse (McMillan, 1995). How will you recognize the signs of crisis in yourself and what strategies will you use to ensure your personal safety in the workplace? (100-word minimum length)

3. Think about the last time you became frustrated or concerned about something in your work environment. Is this something that could also frustrate a patient? How could this be rectified? (100-word minimum length)

4. Describe an interpersonal situation or event that was upsetting, but not dangerous, e.g., a rebuke by a supervisor or insulting remark by a patient or colleague (1 paragraph).

5. How did you respond, or why did you remain silent, e.g., fear of further rebuke, demotion (1 paragraph)?

6. Give two examples of verbal responses to the upsetting event that might have defused your anger/hurt feelings and helped to resolve the situation (mini crucial conversation, just 1 or 2 lines for each of the two responses).

7. Perpetrating workplace violence can have occupational and even legal repercussions. Reflect on how you will ensure that you are not in the role of workplace bully? How will you gauge your own behaviors for appropriateness? List 3 strategies.

*Submit to D2L Assignment Folder SIM4 O.V.C.

1. CDC course completion document
2. CDC course reflection questions