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Post‐Event Strategies for Workplace Violence Affecting Hospital Staff: A Scoping Review

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: AIMS: To map the evidence on post-incident strategies for workplace violence in global hospital settings, define current literature gaps and provide direction for future research. DESIGN: Scoping review guided by Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. METHODS: A narrative synthesis, framed by the Haddon Matrix, categorised post-violence strategies by focus on staff (victims), aggressors (vectors), or the physical/social environment. DATA SOURCES: Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Health Management Information Consortium) and Google Scholar were searched in January 2024. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles were included. Post-violence strategies addressed: (1) staff support through debriefs and psychological, clinical and procedural assistance; (2) behaviour management, individualised plans, alerts and accountability measures for aggressors; and (3) system-level responses via incident investigations, feedback processes and integrated monitoring. These strategies were typically embedded within larger multicomponent workplace violence programmes, with limited disaggregation of their specific effects. CONCLUSION: The evidence base for tertiary prevention of workplace violence remains sparse. Most articles in this review equated success with violence reduction, reflecting a traditional (Safety-I) focus on risk mitigation, with limited attention to broader outcomes such as staff perceptions of safety or job-related affect. This underscores the need for a clearer focus on the mechanisms by which such interventions are expected to create change, providing an opportunity to refine theory and practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The post-violence period offers a key juncture for mitigating incidents' ripple effects. As frontline staff are often the primary 'recipients' of interventions, future research and service improvement initiatives should focus more closely on outcomes relevant to staff experiences. IMPACT: Incorporating a Safety-II perspective, which emphasises resilience and adaptive performance, could enable hospitals to strengthen ongoing operational capabilities in the aftermath of violence and help to redress the conditions that facilitate its recurrence. REPORTING METHOD: PRISMA-ScR. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.

Source: Journal of Advanced Nursing

DOI: 10.1111/jan.70460

Authors: Dana Sammut, Nutmeg Hallett, Liz Lees‐Deutsch

Institutions: Coventry University, University of Birmingham, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Language: English

Topic: Workplace Violence and Bullying

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Gender equality

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $5,450