Evaluation of Workplace Violence in the Prehospital Environment

Introduction—The threat of physical or verbal assault while in the field is high for EMS and first responders. This study focused on EMS’ and first responders’ opinions on workplace violence.

Objective—To understand EMS professionals’ opinions about workplace violence.

Methods—This retrospective observational study examined all responses obtained via a questionnaire that was built using Lime Survey, an online open-source survey software. The survey was distributed via multiple listservs for EMS and first responders operating in North Carolina in June 2018. The survey questions were structured to gauge both the frequency with which people experienced workplace violence and the likelihood they would document these experiences if a reporting portal were available. Answers were reported on a five-point Likert scale.

Results—A total of 1,203 respondents completed this survey. Overall, 54.78% reported they had physical violence directed at them within the last 24 months, and further categorized the type of assault experienced as verbal (26.85%), physical (8.48%), or both (35.41%). When asked if they felt safe while working, 22.22% reported not feeling safe, 33.86% were neutral, and 34.20% reported feeling safe. Regarding the likelihood of being injured by a patient while working during the next six months, 25.29% did not think there was a chance, 24.96% were neutral, and 39.98% thought there was a chance.

Conclusion—Workplace violence is a serious issue that should be addressed in order to ensure the safety of EMS and first responders in the field. The results of the survey show that many see the potential for violence as a valid threat to personal safety and, given the opportunity, would use a reporting portal to document these instances.