Preventing Violence, Harassment and Bullying Against Health Workers

Published: July 2019
Available in English, French
Health system,  Healthy work environment (HWE)

Purpose and scope

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to enhance the safety of health service organizations and academic institutions through the adoption of evidence-based practices. Safe and healthy work environments are an enabler for nurses and other health workers to optimize clinical…

The purpose of this best practice guideline (BPG) is to enhance the safety of health service organizations and academic institutions through the adoption of evidence-based practices. Safe and healthy work environments are an enabler for nurses and other health workers to optimize clinical outcomes for those receiving care. Such environments also optimize teaching and learning in academic settings. Specifically, the guideline will address how to recognize, prevent, and manage violence, harassment and bullying in the workplace.

This guideline is applicable to:

  • all health service organizations, and 
  • academic institutions

and it can be utilized by 

  • all health workers, and 
  • and students 

who may experience, encounter or have knowledge of workplace violence, harassment and bullying from

  • formal leaders (such as management and faculty),, 
  • colleagues, and
  • visitors, persons and their families.

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Guideline overview
Reference

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). Preventing violence, harassment and bullying against health workers. 2nd ed. Toronto (ON): RNAO; 2019.

Recommendations

Do you want to learn about and implement the most- up-to-date evidence-based recommendations on this topic with your colleagues? Download and share the full best practice guideline (BPG), Preventing Violence, Harassment and Bullying Against Health Workers.
See below for a snapshot of the recommendations from this BPG. We strongly suggest you review the full BPG before implementing the recommendations and good practice statements. The BPG also includes further resources to support implementation and evaluation.  

Disclaimer: These guidelines are not binding for nurses, other health providers or the organizations that employ them. The use of these guidelines should be flexible and based on individual needs and local circumstances. They constitute neither a liability nor discharge from liability. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents at the time of publication, neither the authors nor the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) gives any guarantee as to the accuracy of the information contained in them or accepts any liability with respect to loss, damage, injury or expense arising from any such errors or omission in the contents of this work.

Revision status

Current edition published: July 2019.

This BPG replaces the RNAO BPGs:

  • Preventing and Managing Violence in the Workplace (2009), and
  • Workplace Health, Safety and Well-being of the Nurse (2008)

Contact

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