Agreement provides verbal and physical conflict management training to all SAC Health members
SAC Health partners with Vistelar in landmark workplace violence initiative
Posts about De-Escalation
Three Seconds to Diffuse a Threat: The Power of First Contact
In a healthcare setting, the first three seconds of an interaction often determine whether a situation will escalate or stabilize. This critical window—from the moment a provider enters a room, approaches a distressed visitor, or addresses an agitated patient—sets the tone for everything that follows. Getting these first moments right can diffuse potential threats before they materialize;...
Training vs. Conditioning: What Sticks When It's Life-or-Death?
Under extreme stress, humans don't rise to the occasion—they fall to their level of training. This reality holds profound implications for healthcare communication and conflict management. When facing a volatile patient, an aggressive family member, or a high-stakes team conflict, healthcare professionals don't suddenly develop new skills. Instead, they rely on deeply conditioned responses...
OHSU collaborates with Vistelar to advance workplace violence prevention
Agreement provides verbal and physical conflict management training to all OHSU members
Beyond Words: The Silent Language of Healthcare Communication—Podcast
“Beyond Words: The Silent Language of Healthcare Communication" — Episode 31
Co-host: Marcus—former healthcare security director
Co-host: Natalie—nurse practitioner and clinical team leader
Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listening as a Safety Practice
In healthcare settings where lives depend on accurate information exchange, listening isn't just a courtesy—it's a critical safety practice. Yet despite its importance, effective listening remains remarkably rare in healthcare interactions. Rushed providers interrupt patients after an average of just 11 seconds. Hierarchical team structures inhibit junior members from speaking up. Handoff...
The Communication Crisis in Healthcare—And How to Fix It
Healthcare faces a communication crisis that endangers patients, burns out clinicians, and compromises care quality. While clinical advances accelerate at breathtaking speed, the fundamental human skill of effective communication remains underdeveloped across the healthcare ecosystem. This crisis isn't merely annoying—it's dangerous.
Scripts vs. Skill: The Real Tools for Responding to Escalation
Healthcare organizations frequently respond to communication challenges by creating scripts—standardized language that staff are instructed to use in various scenarios. A good example might be a service recovery model, such as LEAD: Listen, Empathize, Apologize, Do something. This pre-fabricated response represents a well-intentioned effort to improve communication and can be useful when making...
Why Saying 'Calm Down' Never Works—and What to Say Instead
"Calm down."
These two seemingly innocent words are among the most counterproductive phrases in healthcare communication. Uttered countless times daily in hospitals and clinics across the country, this phrase reliably achieves the opposite of its intended effect. Rather than reducing tension, it often escalates it, creating barriers between providers and patients and sometimes triggering...
Creating Environments Incompatible With Violence—Podcast
“Creating Environments Incompatible With Violence" — Episode 30
Co-host: Marcus—former healthcare security director
Co-host: Natalie—nurse practitioner and clinical team leader
Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts