CommonSpirit Health is taking decisive action against workplace violence with a system of training, response teams, and security measures that protect healthcare workers.
Why it matters
“The concept of ‘that’s just part of the job’ doesn’t equal safety or security,” says Katie Flores, Chief Nursing Officer at CommonSpirit Health.
Workplace violence affects healthcare workers’ wellbeing, job satisfaction, and ultimately patient care quality.
The big picture
CommonSpirit’s violence prevention strategy operates on multiple levels:
1. Staff education and support
Staff are trained to recognize that patient aggression—even when stemming from confusion, withdrawal, or mental health crises—should never be normalized as acceptable.
“We start with our own staff and providers, talking about what we do when an event happens and how to handle it appropriately,” says Flores. “We let them know that we hear them, we see them, and there are avenues to protect themselves.”
2. Proactive intervention
De-escalation training equips staff to manage potential crisis situations, particularly with patients experiencing mental health emergencies.
3. Rapid response teams
When situations escalate, specially-trained behavioral response teams can be called to intervene immediately.
4. Data-driven resource allocation
Each hospital maintains a Workplace Violence Committee that tracks incidents, analyzes trends, and directs resources where they’re most needed.
“We look at the data, we look at the trends, we look to see if there are specific areas more impacted than others, and we match our resources with that,” Flores explains.
This approach has already led to doubling the security presence at Holy Cross Jordan Valley and Holy Cross West Valley based on violence trend data.
The bottom line
“Nobody wants to come to work to ever get injured or to be abused or assaulted,” says Flores.
By taking workplace violence seriously, they’re creating safer environments for both healthcare workers and the patients they serve.