Workplace Violence Prevention: Insights and Innovations

Illustration of person sitting on the floor seeming stressed. Text says Virtual Event Series, HIROC. Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare

On May 29, HIROC hosted the third installment of our four-part Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare virtual series. This series brings together healthcare professionals and leaders from across our system to share best practices, lived experiences, and strategies that can help reduce violence and enhance safety.

A special thank you to the organizations whose representatives spoke at our recent webinar and generously shared their expert knowledge and experiences, including IWK Health, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, and Yukon Hospitals.

If you missed the live session or want to revisit the conversation, we’ve included a video to watch Part 3 of the series at the bottom of this post.

Below, we’ve also captured for your convenience takeaways from each session, including insights and strategies that reflect the momentum across our healthcare system to enhance workplace violence prevention efforts.

Strengthening Workplace Violence Prevention at IWK Health

Krista Stultz, Manager, Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness, and Natalie Nymark, Infection Control Practitioner, from IWK Health opened our workshop by sharing their comprehensive approach to occupational health and safety, with a focus on violence prevention. Here are a few key highlights from their session:

  • After an incident took place at Nova Scotia Health, IWK conducted a comprehensive audit across all departments to identify and close safety gaps
  • Implemented a multidisciplinary Behavioural Emergency Response Team (BERT) to manage behavioural emergencies
  • Developed pre-admission checklists and “client at risk” huddles to proactively identify potential risks
  • Invested in safety enhancements for non-violence intervention training, advanced Code White training for protection services, and recertification of existing officers
  • Hired a simulation consultant to enhance training realism, education, and preparedness, and stressed the importance of continuous learning in simulation exercises

“I’ve come to realize that with violence prevention, we’re never going to be done,” said Stultz. “We’re always going to have to monitor, look at the events, follow up, and make sure nothing’s missing.”

Using Data and Feedback to Drive Change at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC)

Joanna Noonan, Director, Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness, and Michael Bush, Safety Leader, from KHSC shared how KHSC has evolved its workplace violence prevention efforts by integrating data, staff feedback, and policy change:

  • After noticing discrepancies in dated reporting, their team developed a new unified incident reporting form to capture incidents involving multiple parties, improving data accuracy
  • New form allows staff to suggest root causes and prevention strategies, and included a new “safe reporting” field for managers to validate staff input and outline follow-up actions

“We made sure that it was less about filling out a form and more about making sure that the conversation was actually happening in real time,” said Noonan.

“What do we need that we don’t currently have? Do we need to engage other resources like police or patient contacts and occupational health?”

  • Introduced a feedback system where frontline staff could propose workplace safety improvements, and encouraged collaboration with Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC)
  • Reformed their Code White debriefs to focus on real-time staff support, centering it around conversation and responsiveness
  • Revised process led to faster incident reviews, better staff updates, and fewer concerns raised at safety committee meetings

Innovating with Weapons Detection at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH)

WRH’s Michael Broderick, Manager, Safety and Security, detailed steps toward improving safety after a serious security incident, which included weapons detection as one critical component of a larger, layered, proactive strategy:

  • WRH created a multidisciplinary working group that included representatives from security, occupational health, emergency department leadership, and senior management
  • Initiated a third-party risk assessment led by Windsor’s former Chief of Police, which resulted in many new safety recommendations, including the use of handheld metal detectors and installing weapons screening devices in their ED
  • Implementation of weapons detection included key considerations such as tools being intuitive for security and non-disruptive to patient care, and support to all patients, including those with mobility limitations or cultural/religious considerations
  • Robust training process was rolled out to ensure preparedness across all departments, and policies were crafted to accommodate diversity, including physical, cultural and religious needs
  • New process saw threats drop significantly, and both staff and patients offered positive feedback

Yukon Hospitals’ Holistic Approach to Violence Prevention

Lisa De Panfilis, Director, Quality, Safety, and Strategy, and Linsey Page, Manager, Quality Improvement and Risk Management, from Yukon Hospitals shared the evolution and success of their Healthcare Security Officer (HSO) program, an initiative grounded in trauma-informed, therapeutic care to reduce workplace violence:

  • Launching in 2020, the HSO program embeds officers within the care team, focusing on relationship-building, trauma-informed care, and proactive engagement with patients and staff
  • Officers are uniformed, highly visible, and use mobile patrol software to stay responsive and engaged throughout a facility
  • The HSO program puts an emphasis on in-person engagements, with officers trained to build familiarity with patients, allowing them to anticipate needs and reduce potential triggers for aggression
  • The program has led to a noticeable reduction in violent incidents, with more staff feeling supported, and patient interactions being more therapeutic and less confrontational
  • Future efforts include growing the team, expanding training for non-violent crisis intervention, and refining job roles to align with the program’s trauma-informed goals

Watch Part 3: May 29, 2025

Can’t watch this video? Review your cookie preferences by clicking on the banner at the bottom of the screen or the cookie icon on the bottom left of the screen. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/vjtWmiTG8Pw (YouTube may prevent signed-out users from accessing videos)

Looking for more from HIROC’s Workplace Violence Prevention Series?

For more on this topic, check out our Risk Profile on Workplace Violence / Disruptive Behaviour.

If you have questions at any time, reach out to us at [email protected].