Addressing violence in the healthcare workplaceAORN and other members of the Council on Surgical and Perioperative Safety are taking time in April to raise awareness about violence in the workplace.
By Carina Stanton
Senior News Editor
In April, AORN and other members of the Council on Surgical and Perioperative Safety (CSPS) are sharing the CSPS statement on Violence in the Workplace and additional resources to help increase awareness about the need to eliminate violence in the healthcare work environment.
"No one is immune from the effects of workplace violence. We must therefore all speak with one voice regarding a 'zero tolerance' approach to workplace violence. This unified approach of disseminating the CSPS statement at the same time demonstrates our clear unity," said Lena Napolitano, MD, FACS, chair of the CSPS. "It is the position of the CSPS that violence in the workplace must not be tolerated under any circumstances."
Lena Napolitano
Chair, CSPS
The mission of the CSPS is to promote excellence in patient safety in the surgical and perioperative environment. A caring workplace environment for the entire perioperative team is necessary for the promotion of excellence in patient safety, she stressed.
CSPS is an incorporated multidisciplinary coalition of professional organizations whose members are involved in the care of surgical patients. These member organizations include AORN, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA), American Association of Surgical Physician Assistants (AASPA), American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses (ASPAN) and the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST).
The CSPS Statement on Violence in the Workplace was created in 2007 by CSPS members and led by CSPS member Bill Schecter, MD, FACS. The goal of the statement is to stress that the creation of a violence-free culture of mutual respect, dignity and fairness among individuals and professional disciplines is essential for the teamwork and communication necessary for patient safety.
"I think that we have a much more open and communicative environment in the OR setting than we have had in the past. Efforts to recognize safety issues in the workplace have finally shifted to the forefront of health care, particularly in the perioperative environment, and include the important issue of workplace violence. Focusing on a safe and healthy workplace will assist in the conduct of safe surgery, which saves lives," Napolitano explained.
The statement was approved by all CSPS members in October 2007 and is posted on the CSPS Web site, along with tool kits and other resources for preventing violence in the healthcare workplace.
Read the CSPS Statement on Violence in the Workplace.
New position statement from AORN
At AORN's recent Congress in Chicago, the AORN House of Delegates approved a new Position Statement on Key Components of a Healthy Perioperative Work Environment, which includes the recommended adoption of a zero-tolerance policy for abuse and disrespectful behavior by any perioperative team member. Read the statement.
Additional resources
Read an article on lateral violence in the perioperative workplace, titled "Lateral Violence in the Perioperative Setting" in the April issue of AORN Journal.
Read more news in AORN Connections.