An Expert’s Advice on Building a Culture of Safety in Healthcare with Dr. Lynn Van Male, President of Lyn Van Male LLC.

It's never acceptable, especially in healthcare, to be bullied, intimidated, or harassed. In this podcast episode, Mary Beth Kingston interviews Dr. Lynn Van Male, President of Lyn Van Male LLC. Lynn highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to violence prevention, emphasizing that it involves everyone in the workplace, from employees to leadership. She highlights the need for training to recognize signs of escalation, intervening appropriately, and creating a reporting system. Lynn also stresses the individualized nature of threat management, discarding the notion of a one-size-fits-all approach. She then outlines protective factors and how healthcare organizations can use them to lessen the threat that certain behaviors pose. Lynn discusses the importance of de-escalation methods, focusing on their effectiveness when integrated into a broader strategy. Finally, according to Dr. Lynn Van Male, workplace violence is an ongoing procedure. Leaders must put these strategies into effect and be ruthless about adhering to them. Tune in and gain a holistic approach that can contribute to preventing workplace violence in your healthcare organization and fostering a safer environment! Resources: Get to know more about Dr. Lynn Van Male here. Read Dr. Elbogen’s studies on protective factors here.