Nearly two in five healthcare workers in the U.S. say they have considered leaving their positions due to safety concerns, with almost half (45%) likely to leave their job in the next 12 months, according to new research conducted by Verkada in partnership with The Harris Poll.
Against the backdrop of an already challenging environment that has pushed 138,000 nurses out of the workforce since 2022, Verkada’s Healthcare Worker Safety Report reveals that inadequate safety puts the workforce at even greater risk.
Nurses reported higher departure intentions (50%) compared to physicians (39%). Over half of respondents (52%) also believe that safety concerns are actively deterring people from entering the profession.
Other key findings include:
- Violence and harassment on the job is a daily reality: Nearly 3 million healthcare professionals begin each shift anticipating conflict, as one in five (21%) healthcare workers report they worry about verbal harassment from patients most or every time they go to work. Those fears are validated by the data: 79% of healthcare workers have experienced or witnessed aggressive behavior from patients.
- This burden isn’t always evenly distributed: Women consistently report higher violence exposure of all types, and nurses are more than twice as likely to be physically assaulted on the job compared to physicians (60% vs. 29%). Age also plays a significant role: Gen Z workers report physical assault rates three times higher than Boomers (60% vs. 19%).
- Employers lag on basic security measures: Despite these persistent threats, 41% of healthcare workers say their workplace has minimal security and 77% say that their company hasn’t changed the level of security measures in the last 12 months. Even security measures as simple as visitor ID checks are only required at 40% of hospitals, the data shows.
- Healthcare workers believe better security would help: More than four in five (82%) healthcare workers want their employers to increase security measures. When asked about specific measures that would give them peace of mind, on-site security guards (63%), weapon detection technology (49%), and panic buttons (48%) topped the list.
“Healthcare workers dedicate their lives to caring for others, yet our research reveals that we’re not doing enough to protect them,” said Alana O’Grady, Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs at Verkada. “While the data shows the clear and urgent need for healthcare organizations to invest in security infrastructure, this is ultimately not just a safety issue. This is driving lasting impact in the industry, with workplace violence driving upwards of $18 billion in costs for the healthcare system annually and threatening to drive an even greater cost if labor shortages worsen.”
