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Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

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February 10, 2026
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December 31, 2025

Copyright (c) 2025 Hussain Ahmed Mohammed Najmi, Abdulrahman Mohammed Aqeel Halawi, Abdulaziz Abdullah Ali Homdi, Yahya Jaber Ahmed Hamdi, Abdulfattah Ali Ahmed Mobarki, Khalid Mohammed Abdullah Sahli, Khalid Ahmed Yahya Mobarki, Mohammed Abdu Ebraheem Hamdi

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings-An Updated Review for Health Security Professionals

https://doi.org/10.64483/202522643
Hussain Ahmed Mohammed Najmi
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Mohammed Aqeel Halawi
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Abdullah Ali Homdi
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Yahya Jaber Ahmed Hamdi
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Abdulfattah Ali Ahmed Mobarki
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Khalid Mohammed Abdullah Sahli
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Khalid Ahmed Yahya Mobarki
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Abdu Ebraheem Hamdi
Altawal General Hospital – Jazan,Ministry Of Health, Saudi Arabia

Corresponding Author(s) : Hussain Ahmed Mohammed Najmi

Hussainn@moh.gov.sa

Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

Abstract

Background: Workplace violence (WPV) in emergency departments (EDs) is a pervasive global problem that threatens staff safety and quality of care. ED staff experience high rates of verbal abuse, threats, and physical assaults, intensified by heavy workload, unpredictability, and high patient acuity.


Aim: This rapid review aimed to identify evidence based interventions effective in preventing or reducing WPV perpetrated by patients and visitors against ED staff.


Methods: The review followed Cochrane Rapid Review methods and PRISMA guidelines. Studies from 2012 onward were systematically searched and screened. Included studies evaluated ED based interventions such as education, screening, environmental modifications, and policy changes. Quality appraisal used a modified Joanna Briggs Institute checklist.


Results: Education and training improved staff confidence and self efficacy, though effects on violence rates varied. Policy and procedural guidelines led to reductions in restraint use. Screening tools, including behavioral checklists, facilitated proactive responses and reduced reactive security interventions. Multicomponent interventions—combining education, screening, environment, and policy adjustments—were most effective, producing meaningful reductions in violent incidents and staff fear.


Conclusion: No single intervention consistently prevents WPV; however, integrated, context specific, and sustained strategies show the strongest evidence for improving ED staff safety. Effective WPV mitigation requires combining training, early risk identification, environmental improvements, and policy support.

Keywords

Workplace violence, emergency department, staff safety, de escalation training, violence screening, environmental modification, healthcare security, rapid review
Najmi, H. A. M., Abdulrahman Mohammed Aqeel Halawi, Abdulaziz Abdullah Ali Homdi, Yahya Jaber Ahmed Hamdi, Abdulfattah Ali Ahmed Mobarki, Khalid Mohammed Abdullah Sahli, … Mohammed Abdu Ebraheem Hamdi. (2025). Implementing Evidence-Based Strategies to Reduce Workplace Violence in Healthcare Settings-An Updated Review for Health Security Professionals. Saudi Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2(2), 3438–3446. https://doi.org/10.64483/202522643
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