IAHSS Workplace Violence Prevention 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a Threat Assessment Team (TAT) in a healthcare organization?
- To discipline employees who report incidents
- To evaluate and manage credible threats of violence before they escalate (Correct answer)
- To conduct criminal investigations on behalf of law enforcement
- To train security staff in firearm use
Correct answer: To evaluate and manage credible threats of violence before they escalate
A Threat Assessment Team evaluates and manages credible threats of violence before they escalate, using a multidisciplinary approach to mitigate risks proactively.
Question 2: Which legislation requires certain healthcare employers in California to establish and maintain a workplace violence prevention plan?
- SB 1299 (Correct answer)
- HIPAA Security Rule
- The Joint Commission Standard EC.02.01.01
- EMTALA
Correct answer: SB 1299
California SB 1299 (effective 2019) requires certain healthcare employers to establish and maintain workplace violence prevention plans specific to their settings.
Question 3: An employee reports receiving repeated threatening text messages from a former coworker. This situation BEST represents which type of workplace violence?
- Type I - Criminal Intent
- Type II - Customer/Client
- Type III - Worker-on-Worker (Correct answer)
- Type IV - Personal Relationship
Correct answer: Type III - Worker-on-Worker
Type III workplace violence is worker-on-worker violence, which includes threats or acts of violence between current or former employees.
Question 4: What role does 'psychological first aid' play in a post-incident workplace violence response?
- It replaces the need for formal law enforcement reports
- It provides immediate emotional and psychological support to those affected (Correct answer)
- It is used to determine criminal liability of the perpetrator
- It refers to training staff in self-defense techniques
Correct answer: It provides immediate emotional and psychological support to those affected
Psychological first aid provides immediate emotional and psychological support to staff, patients, and witnesses affected by a violent incident to promote recovery.
Question 5: According to IAHSS, which healthcare unit consistently reports the HIGHEST rates of workplace violence against staff?
- Administrative offices
- Hospital cafeterias
- Emergency departments and psychiatric units (Correct answer)
- Medical records departments
Correct answer: Emergency departments and psychiatric units
Emergency departments and psychiatric units consistently report the highest rates of workplace violence due to high-stress situations, patients in crisis, and unpredictable behaviors.
Question 6: A hospital security director wants to measure the effectiveness of the workplace violence prevention program. Which metric is MOST useful?
- Number of security staff trained in CPR annually
- Incident rate of violent events per 100 full-time equivalent employees (Correct answer)
- Total number of visitors per month
- Average patient satisfaction score
Correct answer: Incident rate of violent events per 100 full-time equivalent employees
The incident rate of violent events per 100 FTE employees is the most useful metric, as it allows standardized comparison over time and across departments.
Question 7: When documenting a workplace violence incident, which piece of information is MOST critical to include in the initial report?
- The name of the supervisor on duty during normal business hours
- A detailed account of the sequence of events, actions taken, and parties involved (Correct answer)
- The financial cost of any property damage only
- The personal medical history of the perpetrator
Correct answer: A detailed account of the sequence of events, actions taken, and parties involved
A detailed account of the sequence of events, actions taken, and parties involved is the most critical information, as it forms the foundation for investigation, trend analysis, and legal proceedings.
IAHSS Workplace Violence Prevention 2
What is the primary purpose of a Threat Assessment Team (TAT) in a healthcare organization?