Aggression in healthcare: Vienna relies on effective violence prevention!

Aggression in healthcare: Vienna relies on effective violence prevention!

Klinik Landstraße, Wien, Österreich - Violence in healthcare is a explosive topic that, according to a current survey by the Vienna Medical Association, cannot be ignored. This study shows that aggression and violence against medical staff are common. The Vienna Health Association (WIGEV) has taken countermeasures for years to ensure the safety of employees, in the absence of better conditions in the clinics, especially in emergency rooms and psychiatric departments, where increasing aggression potential of patients is a permanent challenge, as Harald Stefan, head of maintaining the general psychiatric department at the Landstrasse Clinic.

statistics and security

In the past two years, profound surveys have been carried out among the 30,000 Wigev employees. The alarming results show that 50 percent of employees experienced verbal aggression, while every fourth employee experienced physical attacks such as thrusts or strikes. This data forms the basis for preventive measures, such as structured security concepts, training courses in de -escalation management and structural measures in the facilities. In order to be able to react better to potential attacks, the WigEV also has a central security board that regularly advises on security standards and improves them.

The training "Violence protection for employees" under the campaign "Orange the World" sensitizes the employees in dealing with violent situations. Harry Stefan emphasizes: "Each of us is responsible." Risk factors are considered in different phases in order to be able to intervene early and to avoid further escalations. Prevention is very important here: from the primary to secondary to tertiary intervention, everything serves to improve the feeling of security and the protection of employees and patients. In addition, a new system for data recording of aggression events is implemented, the first survey period of which runs until December 15 to get a clearer picture of the Situation in the Wigev.

With zero tolerance policy towards aggression and violence, the Wigev not only strives for protection for its employees, but also for the patients who rely on help in emergency situations. This is underpinned by a well -thought -out violence prevention concept, which has been fully integrated into the corporate structure since 2019. As the Vienna Health Association reports, it is the only European institution that systematically captures both external and internal aggression within the team, which creates a comprehensive picture of the challenging situation in healthcare.

More information on this can be found at Gesundheitsverbund.at and press.wien.gv.at .