A recent safety report revealed that a majority of healthcare professionals view patients becoming violent and the impacts of burnout/mental health as some of their greatest safety concerns. Topping the list that healthcare workers are most concerned about are patients becoming violent (72%), the impacts of burnout/mental health (61%) and active assailants (42%).

The Motorola Solutions 2023 Healthcare Worker Safety Report surveyed 500 respondents — including doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators — between December 2022 and January 2023. The data does show that, overall, healthcare workers feel safe in their respective medical environments.

In addition to voicing their top concerns in working in the industry, survey respondents also say the right safety communications training — such as safety procedure trainings and digital safety plans — would help them feel more prepared for emergencies at work.

Some other key findings from the report include:

• The initial and persisting impact of COVID-19 continues to threaten healthcare workers’ mental health and propensity for job burnout (77%).
• As home healthcare services become more commonplace, 41% of respondents indicated they would worry more about their personal safety if they were to deliver care in a patient’s home versus in a traditional hospital/healthcare system setting.
• 40% of healthcare workers are concerned about the threat of an active assailant.
• 54% of respondents commented that personal safety is a top priority for them to continue working in the industry.
• Respondents expressed interest in panic button technology or another 911 alerting system (55%), safety procedure training (51%), customized texts and/or phone alerts (48%), easily accessible, digital safety plans (46%) and the availability of a safety app with resources, plans and emergency contacts (44%).

Healthcare employees also provided insights on their preferred communication methods for when safety issues do arise in facilities or in patients’ homes.

“Healthcare workers have been through a lot over the past few years. They’ve been on the frontlines of COVID-19, are experiencing high levels of job burnout and are exposed to today’s mental health issues on a frequent basis,” said Todd Piett, Vice President of Rave Mobile Safety at Motorola Solutions. “It is imperative that healthcare employees — arguably a hospital or health system’s best asset — feel safe in their roles so that they can perform at a high level and deliver the best possible care to patients.”