Stand Up to Violence: Let’s Get Our Ducks in a Row

The goal of this project was to equip emergency department nurses at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, with consolidated, easy-to-access resources for addressing workplace violence. The Clinical Scene Investigator team compiled key documents into a binder available on the unit and on a SharePoint site. Nurses received a badge buddy with emergency phone numbers and a QR code linking to the SharePoint resources. The most current policies were maintained on the site to ensure quick access to up-to-date guidance.The team conducted monthly rounding to reinforce essential safety topics, including administrative discharges, code greens (violent patient response), safety searches, EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) considerations, and de-escalation techniques.