Certified Healthcare Workers Violence Prevention Specialist (CHVPS)

Course Description

Healthcare workers are exposed to many safety and health hazards, and data indicate that they are at high risk for experiencing violence in the workplace. In 1999, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a rate of 8.3 assaults per 10,000 workers in the healthcare industry, which is significantly higher than the rate of non-fatal assaults for all private sector industries at two per 10,000 workers. As a result, the prevention of workplace violence has emerged as an important safety issue in and around hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Legal training requirements have become increasingly important. OSHA has warned healthcare institutions that it has the authority under federal law to require the implementation of workplace violence training programs. Additionally, some states have passed laws mandating that healthcare workplaces develop plans to protect employees from violence.

Several obstacles can hinder effective violence control, including management beliefs that violent incidents are simply part of the job and the potential for retaliation against staff who report violence due to concerns about negative customer service scores. Healthcare workplace violence training programs can help overcome these cultural barriers, encourage reporting, and ultimately reduce levels of violence in medical settings.

Learning Outcomes

Identify risk factors and early warning signs of workplace violence in healthcare settings.

Apply prevention strategies, including de-escalation, communication techniques, and behavioral awareness.

Implement organizational violence prevention programs compliant with OSHA and healthcare regulatory standards.

Respond effectively to violent incidents, ensure worker safety, and follow proper reporting and documentation procedures.

Target Audience

Healthcare facility managers, safety supervisors and coordinators, nursing staff and patient care personnel, emergency department personnel, hospital security officers and supervisors, risk management personnel, behavioral health and psychiatric care staff, industrial hygienists, collateral duty safety personnel, program administrators, line supervisors, human resources and employee relations staff, and healthcare operations and compliance managers all play critical roles in ensuring safety, compliance, and effective operations within hospital and healthcare settings.