The Hidden Costs and Impacts of Increasing Workplace Violence

In the post-COVID-19 years, reports of workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare have reached epidemic levels. The statistics are alarming, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing that 75% of these events occur in healthcare settings. Although recent data is significantly under-reported—most notably verbal abuse—current statistics from the American Nurses Association report that 4 nurses are assaulted every hour, with 33 percent feeling unsafe in their work environments. While clinical professionals are presently the highest number of victims, all members of the healthcare team are subject to episodes of violence and excessive verbal or physical abuse.

Parkland Health is a public safety net health system located in Dallas, caring for a large percentage of uninsured patients with highly complex medical needs, including mental illness, and was identified as the busiest standalone emergency department in the nation in 2023 and 2024, according to Becker's Healthcare. For the past decade, Parkland leaders have dedicated time toward proactive efforts to address what now can be considered a public health emergency, as many healthcare professionals have left or are seriously contemplating leaving the healthcare environment.

The replacement costs of a physician, nurse or other critical role can be astronomical and may not readily be appreciated by the organization until the vacancy is realized. Parkland Health’s WPV program’s success has been due to the continuous support and concern for the safety of the workforce by the executive team and Board of Managers, who incorporated this topic into the health system’s strategic plan. Parkland Health is also on a multiyear journey to improve productivity by embedding productivity in all operational conversations and creating enterprisewide goals associated with each employee’s end-of-year performance. Therefore, it’s essential for the productivity team to partner with the WPV program to understand the operational and financial impact of WPV.