Recovery and Reporting Back to Work

How a nurse responds to and recovers from a violent incident depends on how they perceive the event, their problem-solving abilities, and available support systems. Although a nurse may have resources and support outside the workplace, the healthcare organization should be a source of support in these areas:

• Medical
• Psychological
• Social (from supervisors and team members)
• Financial (e.g., in the event of work loss)
• Legal
• Security (e.g., escorts or customized safety programs)

If the healthcare organization can provide the correct resources and support in a timely manner, and if a nurse can feel supported by supervisors and colleagues in addition to outside resources, it's possible to move in a positive direction.

With good workplace violence prevention policies in place, the healthcare organization can continue to adapt policies based on newly understood risks, and the individual nurse can learn and move on.