Authors

  1. Section Editor(s): Pfeifer, Gail M. MA, RN

Article Content

Violent crime is rising at health care institutions. To address concerns about the increasing number of violent crimes committed against patients and visitors at health care institutions, the Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert on June 3, in which it outlined 13 tactics for addressing the problem. (To read the alert, go to http://bit.ly/ag9YlP.) According to the alert, the Joint Commission has recorded 256 instances of violent crime-defined as assault, rape, or homicide-since 1995, but 43% of those incidents occurred in the last three years: 36 in 2007, 41 in 2008, and 33 in 2009. Most of the reported crimes were committed by visitors, patients, and intruders, but not all; some were committed by health care staff.