"I've Had the Life of My Unborn Child Threatened": Joint Commission Looks at Violence against Healthcare Workers

​One quarter of nurses report being physically assaulted by a patient or a patient's family member, according to an April 16, 2018, Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert. Three quarters of the nearly 25,000 workplace assaults reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration each year occur in healthcare and social assistance settings. Injuries related to violence are four times as likely to cause a healthcare worker to miss work as other injuries. Each of the preceding statistics is featured in an accompanying infographic from Joint Commission. Violence against healthcare workers is also underreported, Joint Commission said. Only 30% of nurses who experience violence report it.