A Qualitative Study of Resident Physician and Health Care Worker Experiences of Verbal and Physical Abuse in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Verbal and physical abuse of health care workers by patients is a prevalent and underreported problem. Seventy-five percent of all assaults in the workplace occur in the health care setting, and, in the hospital, the highest levels of violence take place in mental health units and in the emergency department (ED). 1 Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social service workersOccupational Safety and Health Administration. https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdfDate accessed: May 2, 2020 Google Scholar , 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)Current Intelligence Bulletin 57 - Violence in the Workplace. Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies. NIOSH, 1996https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/96-100/risk.htm Google Scholar , 3 Gates D. Gillespie G. Kowalenko T. et al. Occupational and demographic factors associated with violence in the emergency department. Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2011; 33: 303-313 Google Scholar , 4 Phillips J.P. Workplace violence against health care workers in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2016; 374: 1661-1669 Google Scholar Although many prior studies have examined the demographics and prevalence of abuse within the ED, prior work has not undertaken a qualitative study of the personal experiences of residents and other health care workers who have personally experienced abuse.