“Go back to your country”: Exploring nurses' experiences of workplace conflict involving patients and patients' family members in two Canadian cities

Abstract

This study explores nurses' experiences of workplace conflict with patients and their family members, how it differs by ethnic/racial identity, and highlights the coping strategies engaged to lessen these conflicts. Using a qualitative research design, this study draws on phenomenology and in-depth interviews of 66 registered nurses and registered practical nurses from multiple sites in two Canadian cities to explore the experiences of nurses with multiple marginalized identities in relation to nurse-patient and nurse-patient's family member conflicts in direct care practice. The results show that horizontal conflicts, especially, ones involving nurses, patients, and their family members are quite pervasive in the nursing profession. Direct care nurses, especially, ethnic minorities relative to majority groups experience excessive physical assaults, verbal aggressive behaviors, racial stereotyping and discrimination, and sexual harassment from patients and patients' family members. Institutional support through policies and practices designed to de-escalate aggressive behavior from patients and their family members were identified as important support systems. We conclude that policies aimed at creating a safe and strong health-care system call for holding patients and th'eir family members legally responsible for uncivil and aggressive behavior against caregivers.