Violence In Nursing

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“The Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines workplace violence as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site” (Renker et al., 2015). The many types of physical violence that nurses are subjected to include hitting, kicking, voided on, spit on, pushed or shoved, hair pulling and even sexual assault (Hajaj, 2014). Verbal violence includes any derogatory remarks or threats such as swearing or cursing, name calling, sexual harassment, intimidation, slander, and threats of physical contact (Jack et al., 2015). Violence is not just limited to patients but can include family members and visitors as well. According to a study done at a level one …show more content…

In reports from an Australian hospital, Bordignon (2016) found that nurses reported decreased work standards and performance, greater psychological demand and a significant loss of control over tasks when exposed to violence. Jack et al., (2015) gives an idea of the psychological and physical consequences of violence against nurses such as fear, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, guilt, self-blame, shame, and in some cases, injuries and temporary or permanent disabilities. One study gathered data from nurses on how they felt immediately following a violent incident. The study conducted by Jack et al., (2015) found that nurses reported violent events hindered the capacity in which they performed their professional nursing role. They also reported feelings of fear, anger toward patients and even anger toward colleagues when teamwork was not utilized during the event. After a violent event, nurses experienced an intensified sense of awareness and hypervigilance at both work and outside the workplace for days to months following the event (Jack et al., 2015). Nurses reported having difficulty maintaining concentration, ultimately affecting their ability to care for patients (Renker et al., …show more content…

In a study performed by Jack et al. (2015) nurses reported unclear thinking after incidents, being less trusting, feeling less empathy and keeping more distance from violent patients, which ultimately influenced their ability to respond to patient distress and provide quality care. Chang (2016) points out the negative effects of WPV against nurses by saying “workplace violence should be managed more carefully because it can affect patient safety.” This is reiterated by Jack et al. (2015) who notes that more frequent medication errors are being made when patients become violent. In relation to patient care, Ferri et al. (2016) lists the consequences of WPV as deterioration of quality, efficiency, and viability of care provided. One source reveals the extent of the impact on the care that is provided to violent

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