PSQH Quick Poll 2026: Taking the Pulse of Patient Safety
As part of PSQH’s celebration of Patient Safety Awareness Week, we decided to reach out to our readers with a few questions to find out the state of patient safety efforts in 2025. The survey had a total of 127 respondents.
Nursing Unions Are a Symptom. Here’s the Problem.
As patient acuity worsens and workplace violence incidents increase, so must the solutions for safe staffing, which in turn is made more difficult by nursing shortages. Issues in healthcare are cyclical, and there is no perfect place to begin.
2026 Healthcare Safety Predictions: Empowering Staff and Strengthening Workforces
To address the ongoing problem of workplace violence, healthcare leaders must rethink traditional approaches and implement strategies that empower employees, reduce risks, and create a culture of safety.
Patient Safety Predictions for 2026, Part 1
PSQH reached out to experts throughout healthcare to get their predictions for what will happen in patient safety and healthcare quality in 2026. We received so many predictions this time around that we’re breaking it up into two parts. Here’s Part 1 of what they had to say.
Facilities Managers on the Frontlines Protecting Healthcare Workers
Personal safety isn’t the only consequence—workplace violence is also threatening retention. Nearly two in five healthcare workers have considered leaving their jobs due to safety concerns with almost half likely to leave in the next 12 months.
Pilot Program Sees 78% Reduction in Workplace Violence
A new nurse-led pilot program aimed at mitigating workplace violence in the hospital setting using communication enhancements, tools for early risk identification of escalating behaviors, and increased accessibility to de-escalation resources has shown a 78% reduction in workplace violence incidents over its first year.
Michigan Hospital Adds Security Dogs to Boost Safety, Provide Comfort
University of Michigan Health-West has launched a K9 security program, introducing specially trained dogs and handlers who will enhance safety and bring comfort to patients, families, and staff. The new teams add another layer of protection while helping create a calm and welcoming environment for care.
Safeguarding Healthcare’s Front Line: Why Rising Workplace Violence Demands Systemic Change
Frontline healthcare professionals are increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of workplace violence, and recent survey data makes one thing clear: incremental changes aren’t enough.
Independence Health System Tackles Workplace Violence
A study of outpatient physician clinics found that as many as 59.3% of physicians, 62.1% of nurses, 68.4% of receptionists, and 40.0% of technicians had experienced workplace violence. In 2023, the financial cost of workplace violence for hospitals was estimated at $18.27 billion, according to a study conducted by the American Hospital Association.
Heat, Workplace Violence Rulemakings Still on OSHA’s Agenda
OSHA rulemakings on heat injury and illness prevention and workplace violence in healthcare and social services remain on the list of the agency’s regulatory actions, according to a Department of Labor (DOL) regulatory agenda notice published September 22.