Violence against healthcare workers has reached a breaking point. The American Hospital Association’s June 2025 report reveals an alarming 112% spike in violent incidents from 2019 to 2021, with over 17,000 assaults reported in a single year. The total cost? A staggering $18.27 billion annually — equivalent to $19 million per 1,000 beds.
Among the most sobering findings:
- 100% of emergency department nurses experience verbal abuse annually.
- 50% experience physical assault.
- The injury rate has nearly doubled in a decade to 16.5 injuries per 10,000 FTEs.
- The human toll is devastating: one nurse assault leads to an average of 63 missed workdays, contributing to burnout, absenteeism, and early exits from the profession.
- Healthcare workers are 2.5x more likely to be injured by workplace violence than other U.S. workers.
Hospitals are searching for solutions — not just to protect their staff but to restore trust, safety, and dignity to caregiving environments. While surveillance and fixed panic buttons have their place, they are insufficient on their own. Violence must be prevented before it erupts.
The Power of a Discreet Button Press
In high-stakes care environments, situations can shift in seconds. A patient becomes agitated. A visitor becomes confrontational. And a nurse or technician is caught in the middle—often alone, often afraid to escalate the situation.
That’s when a discreet press of a mobile duress button changes everything:
- Instantly and silently alerts response teams
- Transmits the exact location via RTLS—no guesswork
- Empowers the staff member to stay calm, confident that help is on the way
Rather than shouting, running, or visibly reaching for a wall button (which can escalate aggression), a staff member can simply press their badge button, continue de-escalation efforts, and trust that backup will arrive quickly.
The Results Are In: Workplace Violence Can Be Prevented
Kontakt.io sees what frontline healthcare teams have reported anecdotally for years — and now, we have the data:
- 80% of high-risk events are resolved before escalation when mobile duress buttons are in use.
- Response time improves by 60%, thanks to precise real-time location data.
- 90%+ of staff report feeling safer immediately when equipped with mobile duress-enabled ID smart badges.
These aren’t just marginal gains. They’re the difference between fear and focus. Between burnout and retention. Between harm and healing.
Violence in healthcare isn’t just a clinical risk — it’s a human crisis with financial, emotional, and systemic consequences. But it’s not inevitable. With proactive technology like mobile duress buttons, hospitals can turn the tide:
- Prevent escalation before it happens
- Respond with speed and accuracy
- Rebuild a culture of safety, trust, and resilience
No camera or fixed wall button can offer that.
When it comes to nurse duress, give caregivers peace of mind and resources at the click of a button.
Want to dive deeper? Read the AHA June 2025 Report →
Explore Kontakt.io’s Staff Safety content: Safety Guide, Executive Talk, and more →
