Violence in public sector psychiatric hospitals. Benchmarking nursing staff injury rates.

1. Violence toward healthcare workers, particularly psychiatric nursing staff, has only recently been identified as a workplace health hazard. An occupational health perspective underscores the need for proactive monitoring and heightens incentives for prevention through the introduction of external regulation. 2. Nursing staff injury rates from violence alone are higher than injuries seen in industries traditionally considered high risk such as mining, lumber, and heavy construction. Nursing employment categories at particular risk include psychiatric technicians, male staff, and on-unit supervisory personnel. 3. It is exceedingly difficult to accurately measure the extent of violence in a given facility and injury rates are known to underestimate the actual number of violent events that occur. Nursing staff, labor organizations, and managers must work toward more reliable monitoring and risk prevention programs.