As we enter 2026, it’s never been more important to empower and protect the healthcare workforce. Healthcare organizations continue to face persistent staffing shortages and high turnover while combating increasing levels of violence. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare and social service workers are five times more likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than workers overall, and Black Book Research uncovered that of the 100% of staff who reported experiencing or witnessing workplace violence, nearly all believe current safety protocols are inadequate.
To address this ongoing problem, healthcare leaders must rethink traditional approaches and implement strategies that empower employees, reduce risks, and create a culture of safety. As healthcare organizations make strides to empower staff and strengthen their workforce for 2026, we will see these three trends:
Implementing Safety Strategies to Drive Workforce Stability and Performance
This year will be defined by an intense, strategic focus on the healthcare workforce. By framing safety as a strategy rather than compliance, healthcare organizations will not only protect employees but may also improve patient outcomes and overall profitability. To do this, safety initiatives can no longer operate in a silo. They must be explicitly aligned with core business goals and metrics like retention and profitability.
Now that workforce instability has hit a critical breaking point, leaders can no longer wait; they must prioritize solutions that demonstrably reduce burnout and bolster retention. An employee’s perception of “feeling safe” is a key component of overall well-being—and data confirms it: the CDC found that 85% of healthcare workers who experienced harassment reported feelings of anxiety, compared to 53% of those who did not experience harassment.
By viewing safety investments as essential tools that improve engagement, stabilize the workforce, and enhance financial performance, the ROI becomes clear. And as a result, healthcare organizations can confidently increase their investments. Examples will include discreet, wearable duress buttons, integrated safety dashboards that automate incident reporting, and visitor management systems that provide a clear understanding of who is in the facility and their exact location in real-time.
Healthcare leaders have the opportunity to transform workplaces into environments where safety is aligned with employee empowerment, proactivity, and business outcomes. As a result, employees feel valued, risks are mitigated and managed intelligently, and organizations can thrive.
Moving from RTLS to Trust-First Safety Solutions
Brick-and-mortar healthcare organizations will see a shift towards employee-centric solutions that prioritize caregiver empowerment and autonomy over privacy-compromising tracking. Surveillance-style safety technologies, like real-time location systems (RTLS), will be re-evaluated against more widely adopted, privacy-first solutions. This shift will be driven by the need to mitigate staffing shortages and boost engagement. For true efficacy, safety must feel like support, rather than an invasion of privacy, and programs that provide this support can enhance participation, improve morale, and increase the likelihood that staff actively use and benefit from these tools.
Wearable devices that enable staff to request assistance discreetly, rather than tracking every movement, will continue to gain traction because they empower employees without compromising their privacy. Solutions that make staff feel respected and trusted, especially amid widespread critical staffing shortages, are likely to have the greatest impact on talent retention and, ultimately, patient care.
Making Proactive Risk Monitoring a Standard of Care
Reactive approaches to workplace safety are no longer sufficient. In 2026, there will be a shift from reactive to proactive risk monitoring as a core element of workplace violence prevention. Instead of relying solely on incremental risk assessments, we’ll see healthcare organizations conduct them more frequently and at broader levels, encompassing the needs of the entire organization. Following these assessments, leaders will be able to target, simplify, and expedite training sessions that enable staff to recognize early danger and encourage the submission of incident reports without fear of retaliation. When these elements come together, healthcare facilities can improve safety and better support their workforce.
For instance, scenario planning can help staff recognize early warning signs of patient aggression and respond safely, while structured feedback systems enable leadership to track near-misses and trends. Hospitals that embrace proactive monitoring create safer environments for the team members who care for patients every day.
In 2026, safety will be both a human and strategic imperative. The organizations that embrace this evolution will find that investing in staff well-being is essential not just to retaining talent but also to sustaining performance.
Andrea Greco is SVP of healthcare safety at CENTEGIX.