Workplace violence is an issue of concern for nurses. It is quite probable to find nurses battling psychological issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder following issues of violence and aggression in the workplace. Nurses are subjected to many sorts of violence daily, including verbal threats, physical assault, bullying, harassment, and intimidation (AlQadi, 2021). (Al‐Qadi, 2021). Unfortunately, these instances affect them adversely and impact the quality of care presented to patients. It is vital to note that these violent instances can be caused by patients, family members, or even fellow coworkers.
According to research, over 25% of nurses have been attacked by a patient or family member, and 50% or more have experienced verbal abuse or bullying (Al‐Qadi, 2021). Violence calls for attention because it has become rampant in the contemporary world (Al‐Qadi, 2021). Each year, 17.2% of nurses are expected to abandon their professions due to workplace violence (Al‐Qadi, 2021). Due to the severity of the issue, action needs to be taken by those involved to aid nurses from any form of workplace violence. Many factors cause this menace. Thus, handling the root cause helps in eradicating the issue solely.
Training on violence prevention strategies is required, as is the implementation of specialized policies and procedures to deal with workplace violence. Creating a department to strengthen and provide a safe environment is promising for reducing violence and improving the efficacy of the nursing environment. When nurses are safe from harm, they can deliver quality care, thus improving patient outcomes.
Justification of Practice Change Recommendation
The rampant growth in workplace violence in nursing practice has had massive repercussions on nurses’ mental and physical well-being, motivation, and productivity. The violence negatively impacts nurses even when it is not directly projected at them. Kim, Mayer, and Jones (2020) document that nurses become emotionally exhausted when patients and their visitors engage in violence. Nurses are also directly attacked either physically or verbally by patients or patients’ visitors, making the workplace insecure for them. Insecurity is a significant motive for nurses to deliver poor-quality healthcare services. Nurses need to feel safe, trusted, and in a positive relationship with their patients and family to effectively deliver their mandate.
Research suggests that more than 50% of nurses and nursing students have experienced verbal violence, while 21% have experienced physical violence (Kim, Mayer, & Jones, 2020). However, it is imperative to note that there could be underreporting of violence projected towards male nurses due to the discrimination and shame attached to men being victims of violence. These figures do not represent the actual violence incidences, as most cases go unreported. Particularly, physical assault cases that do not leave marks, such as injuries or emotional damage, are not reported. The lack of reporting motivates the perpetuation of these incidences, putting nurses’ safety and physical and psychological health at great risk.
Nurses also experience various violence forms from coworkers. Nurses are more likely to be racially discriminated against, bullied, sexually harassed, and sometimes physically attacked by coworkers or bosses in a work environment where violence goes unreported (Al-Qadi, 2021). Studies have also pointed to a significant gender variation in violence projection. Agbornu, Boafo, and Ofei (2022) established that female workers are more likely to experience various forms of violence than their male counterparts. The authors report that as compared to 45.7% of male nurses who experience violence, 54.3% of female nurses experience violence. Gender-based workplace violence has seen more women quit their jobs for physical and emotional security. This violence blurs efforts to achieve gender equality in the workplace, leadership, and global involvement in growth and development. These attacks demotivate nurses. Interventions addressing workplace violence in nursing practice must approach the issue with a clear understanding that every nurse, regardless of gender or race, has some risk of experiencing violence.
Race, geographic location, qualification, and gender tend to exacerbate the degree to which a nurse is exposed to violence. Verbal violence is reportedly the most perpetrated form of violence (Bernardes et al., 2020). This form of violence may be hard to identify but tends to inflict more damage as emotional exhaustion and trauma accumulate over time. Violence in the workplace often produces a negative ripple effect that affects different stakeholders and the institution at large. For instance, a nurse providing low-quality health care services due to violence risks increasing readmission cases in the hospital. The healthcare system incurs massive costs due to readmission. Readmitted patients are at higher risks of suffering related comorbidities and even deaths. Therefore, workplace violence should not be ignored because it affects a particular nurse of color, male, or because the healthcare system may not instantly feel the negative impacts.
Expected Outcomes
Enhanced awareness of workplace violence: Inadequate awareness of violence is a significant barrier to addressing workplace violence. Studies have shown that most cases of violence, especially those that leave no physical mark, such as injuries, go unreported (Al-Qadi, 2021). Interventions directed towards addressing violence will equally sensitize stakeholders, encouraging them to report any form of violence.
Enhanced patients’ and nurses’ health and perception of safety: Patients draw their perception of safety from the quality of care delivery. Nurses can only deliver quality care if they are safe physically, socially, psychologically, and mentally healthy. Addressing workplace violence can help improve nurses’ safety, motivate them to deliver quality services, and enhance patients’ safety perception.
References
Agbornu, F. M., Boafo, I. M., & Ofei , A. A. (2022). Effects of workplace violence on the quality of care by nurses: A study of the Volta Region of Ghana. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences. doi:10.1016/j.ijans.2022.100421
Al-Qadi, M. M. (2021). Workplace violence in nursing: A concept analysis. Journal of Occupational Health. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12226
Bernardes, M. L., Karino, M. E., Martins, J. T., Okubo, C. V., Galdino, M. J., & Moreira, A. A. (2020). Workplace violence among nursing professionals. Sumário. doi:10.47626/1679-4435-2020-531
Kim, S., Mayer, C., & Jones, C. B. (2020). Relationships between nurses’ experiences of workplace violence, emotional exhaustion, and patient safety. Journal of Research in Nursing. doi:10.1177/1744987120960200
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