Stop Violence Poster

Problem & Context:

In January 2016, the VGH Emergency Department (ED) started a Healthy Workplace Initiative that saw several important themes emerge, one of which was professional safety. There were several incidents of some of the Staff, doctors & physicians being exposed to violence and profanity when providing care to Patients. These incidents had a tremendous negative impact on the Emergency Team at VGH and the culture that VCH was trying to uphold.

“In response, through the collaborative effort of VGH Emergency Department Professional Safety Working Group and the Workplace Health Safety & Prevention Team proposal was made for a STOP Violence poster campaign to educate patients on the issue and increase staff and physician reporting of violence in the workplace.

Although the poster campaign was one of the initiatives that come out of the collaborative effort there was a reference to the campaign that Fraser Health started at Surrey Memorial.

Analysis #1: Is the FH Campaign poster message and format ideal for VGH Emergency care setting?
After a Site visit at FH Surrey Memorial Emergency and VGH Emergency, a comparison was made to identify what would work for VCH Campaign. What can we take and what can we improve or add?

1.  What worked and was clear from the beginning was that we had to use VCH staff, doctors and physicians for the photography. This would encourage others to participate and own this campaign.
2. FH Stop Violence life-size poster was mounted on foam board with support so it would stand on its own. However, it was locked behind a glass door. Why? Was there a concern that people would kick or punch it and break it as a result?
3. After speaking with the manager at the Emerge it was concluded that the space at VGH Emergency was crowded and another poster would be a hazard.
4. While at Fraser health poster design advocated Staff as Champions opposing violence and encouraged patients to report violent incidents to Staff. The focus of VGH campaign was to advocate the message, then staff standing behind the message with their own personal quote and then having the organization stand behind their staff in support of the message.
5. Furthermore, we did not want to encourage patients to report on other patients and cause the possibility of a conflict. Our focus was to first make it clear to patients with potential habits or determination of violence to stop it. And second, we wanted Staff to report incidents of violence if they get exposed to it. So that proper actions can be taken by a response team. This yield that we design two separate posters targeting the different audience.