Residents' perspectives on violence and personal safety in the emergency department.

Abstract

To assess emergency medicine residents' perspectives on violence and personal safety in the emergency department. Survey of all 461 current emergency medicine residents and 1992 graduates in the 13 emergency medicine residency programs in California. Eighty-five percent of residents responded to the survey questionnaire. Sixty-two percent of respondents worry about their own safety while working in the ED. The majority of these respondents (72%), however, most fear a needlestick injury from an HIV-positive patient. Fifty percent of the respondents believe that their hospital/residency programs do not provide adequate security in the ED. Respondents overwhelmingly favor some form of gun control legislation. Violence and personal safety in the ED are major concerns of emergency medicine residents.