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PubMed · 42579501

Workplace Safety Champions: Strengthening safety culture through nurse engagement.

Catherine Capp·Mel Brouillette·Nicole Burnett·Nancy Havill·Ashley Amorello Kellish
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Abstract

Workplace violence is a growing concern in health care, disproportionately affecting frontline nurses and nursing assistants. Despite high prevalence, underreporting remains a barrier to effective prevention and response. This article describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of a Workplace Safety Champion program designed to increase reporting of violent incidents and strengthen a culture of safety. A multidisciplinary task force developed an evidence-based Workplace Safety Champion course that emphasizes de-escalation strategies, reporting processes, and staff support. Champions were appointed across inpatient and emergency units and integrated into a hospital-wide Workplace Safety Champion Council. Program evaluation used course completion data and posttraining surveys. The organizational goal of having at least one trained champion in 90% of inpatient and emergency units was exceeded, with 98% of units represented (N = 93 champions). More than 85% of learners reported intent to change their response to workplace violence, and 90% endorsed improved knowledge of resources and de-escalation strategies. The Workplace Safety Champion program successfully improved staff awareness, reporting, and engagement in workplace violence prevention. Embedding champions across units can serve as a sustainable strategy to strengthen safety culture and support frontline health care workers.

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HumansOrganizational CultureSafety ManagementWorkplace ViolenceWorkplaceWorking ConditionsSurveys and QuestionnairesNursesWork EngagementLeadershipOccupational Healthnurse engagementnursing leadershipsafety championssafety cultureviolence preventionworkplace safetyworkplace violenceJournal Article

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Catherine Capp, Mel Brouillette, Nicole Burnett, Nancy Havill, Ashley Amorello Kellish. 2026-09-01. Workplace Safety Champions: Strengthening safety culture through nurse engagement.. https://doi.org/10.1097/nmg.0000000000000402

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Journal Article resourceHumans subjectJournal Article subjectLeadership subjectNurses subjectOrganizational Culture subject

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