Which option is NOT an evidence-based intervention to mitigate risk of workplace violence?

• A. De-escalation training.
• B. Violence prevention programs.
• C. Environmental design.
• D. Reducing staffing levels.

Answer: (D)

The main concept here is using interventions that have demonstrable effects on reducing workplace violence in healthcare. De-escalation training equips staff with skills to recognize early warning signs, use calm communication, and set boundaries, which helps prevent situations from escalating into violence. Violence prevention programs provide a structured, comprehensive approach—combining policies, ongoing staff training, incident reporting, leadership commitment, and evaluation—to systematically reduce violent incidents. Environmental design applies principles that make the workplace safer by improving visibility, controlling access, creating safe rooms, ensuring proper lighting, and reducing opportunities for aggression. In contrast, reducing staffing levels undermines safety by increasing workload, fatigue, and monitoring gaps, which can actually raise the risk of violence and injuries. Therefore, the option that does not align with evidence-based strategies is reducing staffing levels.