The "Sentinel Alert" from the Joint Commission on violence in the healthcare workplace. As the Alert notes -- "Since 2004, the Sentinel Event Database indicates significant increases in reports of assault, rape and homicide, with the greatest number of reports in the last three years: 36 incidents in 2007, 41 in 2008 and 33 in 2009." The Alert also notes that violent incidents are frequently underreported so these figures should not be seen as accurate reflections of today's reality.
The Alert goes on to restate the Joint Commission standard on the employer's responsibility with regard to violence in the healthcare workforce and lists some actions health care organizations should take to prevent assault, rape and homicide in the health care setting.