A Georgia health system gave location-tracking badges to 10,000 staff members for safety — it worked
Hospitals are among the most dangerous workplaces in the United States. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that health and social care services accounted for 73% of nonfatal workplace violence incidents in 2021 and 2022.
As frontline workers, nurses often face the highest mistreatment. Nurse safety is critical today. In a 2023 survey by National Nurses United, eight in 10 nurses said they’d experienced workplace violence, and about 37% said they’d considered leaving the profession because of the issue.
Chris Paravate, the chief information officer of Northeast Georgia Health System, said nurses at the system were among those facing workplace violence. The network of five hospitals across Northeast Georgia provides care for more than one million people.
“Patient care can sometimes be challenging and lead to violent situations,” Paravate told Business Insider. “These incidents can arise in seconds, so it’s crucial to respond promptly and accurately with staff support.”
While the hospitals have always had safety procedures in place, they wanted to see whether technology could make their outdated protocol safer. They trialled a location-tracking badge to improve response times for workplace violence.
