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Workplace Violence
Technology for Hospitals

Workplace Violence in Hospitals is a Serious Problem

Nearly everyone who works in a hospital has a story about a time when they felt threatened by a patient or someone connected to one. That’s because frustration and anger caused by illness, pain, old age, psychiatric disorders or substance abuse may make people verbally or physically violent. Despite ongoing efforts to prevent workplace violence the US Bureau of Labor statistics reports a worsening trend.

Your Staff Deserves to Feel Safe

Unfortunately, individuals working in hospitals often encounter situations that compromise their safety. This is largely due to the nature of their work environment, which is susceptible to type 2 workplace violence, where nurses are at risk of violence from patients or visitors.  As per Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, safety and security are fundamental needs for all humans. If your staff doesn’t feel safe, it will adversely affect their interactions with patients, their productivity, and their overall mental well-being.

Traditional Panic Buttons Aren't Effective Due to Panic Button Hesitation

You might think using a panic button is the best way to get help. Unfortunately, people hesitate before they press their panic button. Panic button hesitation, or delay in help-seeking, refers to the time elapsed from the first sign of a person in distress to when help is sought. This phenomenon can be influenced by several factors. These factors can contribute to significant delays in seeking help, potentially exacerbating the situation:

  • Embarrassment: The individual might feel embarrassed if it turns out to be a false alarm.
  • Fear of consequences: there might be fear of potential consequences, such as being blamed for causing the situation.
  • Fear of over reacting: Similarly to patient delay syndrome, people might underestimate the seriousness of the situation and believe that it isn’t serious enough to justify pressing the panic button because they believe they can handle it themselves.
  • Personal image: Individuals might want to be viewed as competent and capable of handling situations on their own.
  • The Boy Who Cried Wolf Effect: If an individual has previously raised false alarms, they might hesitate to seek help during a real emergency for fear of not being taken seriously.

De-escalation Buttons Eliminate Panic Alarm Hesitation

A de-escalation button is a game changer because your people will feel comfortable using it at the first signs of aggression. That’s because the response to the de-escalation button will come locally from peers on their unit. Your staff will feel safer knowing that if they press their button a co-worker will come to their location to help calm things down before the situation escalates.

Since people will press their button at the first signs of aggression, there will be plenty of time to stop a violent attack from happening. Rather than responding to an attack, this tool empowers your team to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Our Technology Stops Workplace Violence in Its Tracks

Discrete requests for assistance and rapid response from peers from your unit is key to preventing workplace violence. Your people will have peace of mind knowing the button is always with them. Regardless of how your building is built or if there is medical equipment operating nearby, their de-escalation button will work. That’s because Pinpoint’s De-escalation Technology is purpose-built for hospitals.

Healthcare Safety Technology

Creating safer environments for healthcare workers and patients.
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