New Motorola Solutions report reveals healthcare worker safety concerns

Motorola Solutions has released the results of its Healthcare Worker Safety Report after surveying 500 respondents, including doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators between December 2022 and January 2023.

Overall, the data shows that workers feel safe in their respective medical environments, but are grappling with certain safety issues. Those that have healthcare professionals most concerned include: patients becoming violent (72%), the impacts of burnout/mental health (61%) and active assailants (42%). 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.”

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 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
• Like many in society, 40% of healthcare workers are concerned about the threat of an active assailant
• Respondents (54%) voiced that personal safety is a top priority for them to continue working in the industry
• Healthcare workers believe the right safety communications and training will help them to feel more prepared for emergencies at work. Respondents expressed interest in panic button technology or another 9-1-1 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%)