Today’s healthcare statistics tell a stark story. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare workers now suffer more nonfatal injuries from workplace violence than workers in any other profession, including law enforcement. It’s a growing crisis that touches every corner of the healthcare industry. A recent survey revealed that 40% of healthcare workers experienced workplace violence in just two years, with over half of violent incidents involving combative patient interactions with nursing staff.
These risks are even more pronounced for home healthcare workers who often work alone in patients' homes. These numbers represent real threats to your team's safety, your ability to deliver quality care, and your organization's stability. Whether it's a nurse making late-night patient visits, a clinician working in an isolated area, or staff managing increasingly aggressive patients, the risks have never been more apparent.
Let's explore these challenges and discuss practical solutions to protect your healthcare teams.
Healthcare environments present a complex web of hazards that can impact your workers at any time. This challenge becomes even more critical when team members work independently, whether providing home healthcare or covering night shifts in remote facility areas.
Before deciding on effective safety protocols, examine the hazards your workers encounter.
Lifting, repositioning, and transferring patients are core tasks for healthcare workers, but they also come with some of the highest injury risks in the industry. These movements, often repeated multiple times during a single shift, can take a serious toll on your workers' bodies. Additionally, common workplace hazards like slips, trips, and falls pose significant risks, especially when workers are rushing to respond to patient needs.
The risks spike during emergencies or night shifts, when staff levels are lower, or when lifting equipment isn’t immediately available. According to OSHA, a single incident can cost organizations around $15,600 when you factor in medical bills, lost wages, and administrative expenses.
Ergonomic challenges are everywhere in healthcare. Whether it’s adjusting to cramped home care spaces or awkward patient-handling positions, workers often find themselves contorting into unhealthy postures. Over time, these repetitive strains can lead to long-term injuries that are hard to recover from.
The CDC stresses that small changes—like better-designed workstations or ergonomic lifting tools—can make a big difference. The University of North Carolina also highlights that making use of equipment such as patient lifts, transfer devices, adjustable IV stands, and similar tools can reduce or eliminate some awkward postures—provided they are used correctly. It’s also important to maintain good housekeeping practices, such as clearing space in patient rooms and hallways, to allow for more neutral and comfortable working postures.
Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience violence on the job compared to other industries. Workers face violence in many forms –from verbal threats to physical assaults, with emergency departments, psychiatric wards, and home care settings posing the highest risks. Healthcare professionals often face aggression from patients experiencing mental health crises or under the influence of substances.
Beyond outright violence, healthcare workers routinely navigate potentially dangerous situations while interacting with unfamiliar people. Even when encounters don't escalate to violence, workers can face intimidating or threatening behavior that creates an atmosphere of constant uncertainty and stress.
Home care workers face additional risks due to the isolated nature of their work. We’ve seen countless examples of caregivers providing services in an unfamiliar neighborhood being threatened by a family member of a patient, underscoring the unique vulnerabilities of lone workers. Care providers working alone often have limited access to rapid communication and response tools, inadequate time to assess and manage risks, and less information about their surroundings when compared to a traditional working environment. These situations not only endanger the physical safety of healthcare staff but also contribute to significant emotional trauma, increased burnout, and high turnover rates.
Mobile healthcare workers face significant hazards on the road as they travel to, from, and between patient appointments. Motor vehicle accidents remain one of the leading causes of work-related injuries and fatalities across all industries, and healthcare workers who drive frequently are particularly vulnerable. Whether it's responding to urgent calls in adverse weather conditions, navigating unfamiliar routes in remote areas, or driving during off-hours when fatigue is a factor, these daily transportation requirements add another layer of risk to their already demanding roles. The pressure to arrive on time for appointments, combined with the need to sometimes drive in high-stress situations, can further increase the likelihood of accidents.
Healthcare workers, particularly those serving rural or remote areas, regularly face the challenge of unreliable or nonexistent cellular coverage. This communication barrier poses serious safety risks, as workers may be unable to call for help during emergencies, access critical patient information, or maintain contact with their supervisors. When cellular service drops in basements, elevators, or remote locations, workers can find themselves completely isolated at precisely the moments when they most need support. This connectivity gap doesn't just impact emergency response capabilities—it can also interfere with routine check-ins and safety protocols that help protect workers throughout their shifts.
Protecting healthcare workers requires a multi-layered approach. While the challenges are complex, there are several key strategies that can significantly improve worker safety and provide peace of mind for both employees and employers. Here are essential practices that can help protect your healthcare teams.
Effective safety programs begin with comprehensive training. Your organization must ensure workers understand not only standard safety protocols but also how to assess and respond to unique situations they may encounter. This includes recognizing potential hazards, understanding escalation procedures, and knowing when and how to request assistance. To address workplace violence, refer to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and The Department of Homeland Security for insights and best practices for workplace violence prevention planning.
Modern safety solutions have evolved to address the specific needs of healthcare workers including wearable devices, lone worker apps, and panic buttons. These tools help organizations monitor worker safety, provide immediate assistance when needed, and maintain communication even in remote locations. The key is implementing technology that enhances rather than complicates workers' ability to perform their duties.
Aware360 addresses the unique safety challenges faced by healthcare professionals through real-time monitoring and connected worker solutions, ensuring that they have instant access to assistance.
Aware360 provides reliable safety solutions like the ActiveHalo on our AlertGPS platform to help healthcare organizations protect their staff. With our devices, healthcare workers can confidently manage high-stress situations and emergencies, ensuring peace of mind and rapid support when it matters most.
SOS alerts for immediate, discreet help
Healthcare workers can discreetly send an SOS alert to Aware360's 24/7 Monitoring Center and designated responders using the hands-free, two-way voice feature. This ensures immediate support, whether they’re managing a difficult patient or feeling unsafe during a home care visit.
Advanced fall detection for added security
ActiveHalo’s advanced fall detection technology provides an extra layer of protection. If a fall is detected and the worker is unresponsive, the Monitoring Center will dispatch help to their location without delay.
Safety concierge services for reassurance
Whether walking to their car after a late shift or managing a tense situation with a patient, healthcare workers can press the SOS button to connect with a safety agent. The agent will stay on the line until the worker feels secure.
Smart and threat zones for proactive monitoring
Custom virtual boundaries can be set for healthcare facilities, parking areas, or hazardous zones. Workers receive alerts when they enter or leave these zones, allowing organizations to monitor safety proactively.
Privacy options with SOS-only monitoring
ActiveHalo’s customizable privacy settings keep healthcare workers’ locations confidential, only sharing their whereabouts during emergencies when the SOS button is activated.
Rugged 4G LTE waterproof device
Designed for healthcare’s demanding environments, the ActiveHalo device is waterproof and built to endure everyday challenges, providing dependable safety wherever healthcare workers go.
Covenant Health, the largest locally owned non-profit home health and hospice provider in East Tennessee, faced significant challenges in protecting their mobile healthcare workers. Serving over 4,700 patients annually across a 17-county service area, their healthcare professionals regularly operate in uncontrolled environments, from private homes to remote locations, exposing them to various safety risks including unpredictable situations and road hazards. With healthcare workers being five times more likely to experience workplace violence than average workers, these challenges contributed to industry-wide safety concerns, with a quarter of nursing professionals leaving their positions due to workplace safety issues.
Recognizing these challenges, particularly after COVID-19 strained local law enforcement resources, Covenant Health implemented Aware360's AlertGPS ActiveHalo® safety solution to transform their approach to worker protection. After an extensive five-year search for the right solution that balanced both budget and functionality, Covenant deployed the ActiveHalo® devices connected through AT&T's nationwide network. The solution provides workers with a one-touch SOS button for immediate connection to a 24/7 response center, where trained agents can dispatch emergency services anywhere nationwide.
A recent incident demonstrated the system's effectiveness: when an employee activated their SOS button during an emergency, the response team arrived at their location within just 10 minutes, enabling life-saving intervention. The solution's impact extends beyond emergency response - healthcare providers regularly use the SOS button to call for emergency patient transport, allowing them to focus entirely on urgent patient care while the response center handles emergency dispatch.
The AlertGPS platform has enabled Covenant to build a comprehensive safety culture. Todd Robbins, a technology veteran with over 27 years of experience, emphasized the immediate impact: "Across the many applications and systems I've ever implemented, AlertGPS had the quickest, tangible results. I had people stop by my office to offer their thanks for a solution that provides a sense of safety."
The implementation has yielded significant benefits:
Gina Hollenbeck, Director of HomeCare and Hospice, highlighted the broader impact: "Our biggest expense in home healthcare is our people and their time. When we can be more efficient, it has a big impact for us in lots of ways, including financially. It's also a deficit for our competitors in this market right now because our people, who may be considering exploring the job market, see that they don't offer similar safety procedures."
As a non-profit competing against for-profit organizations, Covenant Health's investment in worker safety sets them apart in the industry. The organization encourages employees to use the device 24/7, 365 days a year, demonstrating their commitment to worker safety extends beyond work hours. "Simple things make employees feel better, which makes their day better, which makes the experience of their job better," noted Robbins.
When healthcare workers risk their safety to care for others, protecting them isn't just an obligation—it's a necessity. Every day without proper safety measures puts your team at risk, potentially compromising both worker well-being and patient care quality. The time to act is now: strengthen your safety protocols, empower your workforce with the right technology, and create a culture where everyone feels protected and supported. Ready to take the next step in safeguarding your healthcare teams? Contact Aware360 today to discover how our connected worker solutions can help you protect those who protect others.