Frequency Of Workplace Violence Research Articles

Workplace Violence and Worker Well-Being: A Preliminary Cross-Sectional Study.

To investigate the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) in home health care and long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and explore the relationship between WPV and worker well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with health care workers in an agency that provided care in homes or LTCFs. Six measures of worker well-being were collected: satisfaction with work and life, work-related rumination, work/family conflict, burnout, and turnover intention. Surveys also assessed type and frequency of WPV. Seventeen participants completed surveys. Verbal abuse by patients was the most often experienced type of WPV. Employees who reported experiencing WPV had higher burnout and lower satisfaction with work and life. WPV routinely occurs in home health care and LTCFs and appears to be related to worker well-being. Facility managers who can control WPV will likely impact the well-being of employees. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(11), 44-52.].

Protective and risk factors of workplace violence against nurses: A cross-sectional study.

To describe how workplace violence (WPV) is experienced by nurses in hospitals and community services and identify protective and risk factors. An online cross-sectional national study was conducted from January to April 2021 in Italy. Hospitals and community services were involved in the study. The survey combined the adapted and validated Italian version of the Violence in Emergency Nursing and Triage (VENT) questionnaire, which explores the episodes of WPV experienced during the previous 12 months, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and some additional questions about staffing levels extracted from a previous RN4CAST study. Nurses working in all clinical settings and community services were invited to participate in the survey. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. We adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines. A total of 6079 nurses completed the survey, 32.4% (n = 1969) had experienced WPV in the previous 12 months, and 46% (n = 920) reported WPV only in the previous week. The most significant protective factors were nurses' age, patients' use of illegal substances, attitude of individual nurses and considering effective the organization's procedures for preventing and managing episodes of violence. The most significant risk factors included workload, recognizing violence as an inevitable part of the job, patients' cultural aspects and patients' agitated behaviour. The frequency of WPV was significantly higher in certain areas, such as the emergency department and in mental health wards. Workplace violence (WPV) against nurses is a very frequent and concerning issue, especially in hospitals and community services. Based on our findings, integrated and multimodal programmes for prevention and management of WPV are recommended. More attention and resources need to be allocated to reduce WPV by improving the quality of nurses' workplace environment and implementing violence-free policies for hospitals. Impact Workplace verbal and physical violence is a widespread phenomenon, both in hospital and community settings, and even during COVID-19 pandemic. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of effective reporting systems, fear of retaliation and the tendency to consider violence as an inevitable part of the job. The characteristics of professionals, patients, work environment and organizational factors are involved in the spread of workplace violence, determining its multifactorial nature. Integrated and multimodal programmes to prevent and manage of workplace violence are probably the only way to effectively counteract workplace violence against nurses. Healthcare policymakers, managers of hospital and community services need to proactively prevent and effectively manage and monitor episodes of violence. Nurses need to feel protected and safeguarded against any form of verbal or physical violence, to provide high-quality care in a totally safe environment. No patient or public contribution.

The influence of workplace violence on the quality of nursing work life in a class Ⅲ hospital

Objective: To investigate the status and influencing factors of quality of nursing work life in a class Ⅲ hospital in Jinan. Methods: From 1st december 2018 to 31th March 2019, 658 nurses were selected from a class Ⅲ hospital in Jinan of Shandong province by convenience sampling method. 700 questionnaires were gived out and recoveried, with 658 effective questionaires and the effective recovery rate was 94.0%. The data of nursing work life quality, type of workplace violence, frequency of workplace violence and general social demographic were collected. Results: The mean total score of the quality of nursing work life was (174.61±27.61) . The lowest subscale is work life-home life (61.9%) . There were no statistical difference in the total scores of nurses with different ages and working years (P> 0.05) , while the frequency of night shift, and working hours per day had significant impact on the quality of nursing work life (P< 0.05) . The total score of nurses who were not suffered from workplace violence was much higher than the nurses who were suffered from language violence or physical assault (P<0.05) , the higher the frequency of the violence, the score of the quality of nursing work life was lower (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The quality of nursing work life of nureses who suffer from workplace violence is in a bad situation, nursing managers should give different intervention measures according to the personal characteristics of nurses to improve the quality of nursing work life.

Workplace Violence and Its Effects on Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress among Mental Healthcare Nurses in Japan.

Workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare settings has drawn attention for over 20 years, yet few studies have investigated the association between WPV and psychological consequences. Here, we used a cross-sectional design to investigate (1) the 12-month prevalence of workplace violence (WPV), (2) the characteristics of WPV, and (3) the relationship between WPV and burnout/secondary traumatic stress among 599 mental healthcare nurses (including assistant nurses) from eight hospitals. Over 40% of the respondents had experienced WPV within the past 12 months. A multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that occupation and burnout were each significantly related to WPV. Secondary traumatic stress was not related to WPV. Our results suggest that WPV may be a long-lasting and/or cumulative stressor rather than a brief, extreme horror experience and may reflect specific characteristics of psychological effects in psychiatric wards. A longitudinal study measuring the severity and frequency of WPV, work- and non-work-related stressors, risk factors, and protective factors is needed, as is the development of a program that helps reduce the psychological burden of mental healthcare nurses due to WPV.

Workplace violence among nursing professionals.

Introduction:The frequency of workplace violence has increased significantly across several countries, with short- and long-term effects on workers’ health. Within the health care sector, nursing professionals are the most exposed to workplace violence, since they provide direct assistance to patients on a 24-hour basis.Objectives:To identify the types of occupational violence experienced by nursing professionals.Methods:This was a descriptive, quantitative study of 55 nursing professionals in the emergency unit of a public hospital. Data were collected between April and June 2018 through the Questionnaire for Workplace Violence Experienced or Witnessed by Nursing Professionals. Categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were described using measures of central tendency and dispersion.Results:A total of 49 (88.9%) participants had experienced workplace violence, with 21 (38%) suffering verbal abuse; 14 (25.4%) experiencing mobbing; 6 (11%) reporting physical violence; 5 (9.1%) suffering sexual harassment; and 3 (5.4%) reporting racial discrimination. Furthermore, 44 (90%) of these individuals reported that the incidents of violence could have been prevented.Conclusions:The types of violence observed included physical aggression, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and racial discrimination, with verbal abuse being the most commonly reported. These acts were perpetrated by patients and their families, as well as colleagues and supervisors. Violence prevention strategies should be implemented in institutions in order to provide a safe working environment.

Are frequency and severity of workplace violence etiologic factors of posttraumatic stress disorder? A 1-year prospective study of 1,763 social educators.

Although cross-sectional studies have associated workplace violence (WPV) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prospective studies are needed to ascertain the exposure leading to the development of PTSD. Using a 1-year prospective survey design, with monthly measures of violence, and 1,763 participants, we investigated whether frequency and/or severity of WPV could be considered etiological factors for PTSD. Binary logistic regression models were used, with subclinical and clinical PTSD as outcomes. The models were adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and trauma-related factors, as well as strain in the work environment. Compared with the nonexposed group, frequency of WPV increased the risk of PTSD in an exposure-response pattern: low frequencyOR = 4.0, 95% confidence intervals [CI] [1.0, 16.3], medium frequency OR = 5.9, 95% CI [1.4, 24.3], and high frequency OR = 6.5, 95% CI [1.6, 25.6]. We also found that when threat was the most severe incident of WPV, the risk of PTSD increased, OR = 5.4, 95% CI [1.2, 24.2]. In addition, severe incidents of WPV increased the risk of PTSD, OR = 6.5, 95% CI [1.6, 26.0]. This prospective study consolidates existing cross-sectional studies, which have indicated that frequency of WPV is an etiological factor for PTSD. The study underlines the need for integrating an understanding of the pattern and characteristics of WPV in future research. Specifically, we propose the use of frequency of WPV as an additional factor in targeting employees at risk of developing PTSD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Impacts of workplace violence and professional identity on nurse work engagement in Class III Grade A hospitals

Objective To understand the influence of workplace violence and professional identity on nurses' work engagement, so as to provide guidance for clinical nursing management. Methods From July to September in 2018, nurses from 4 ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals in Wenzhou city were selected as subjects randomly. The General Data Questionnaire, the Workplace Violence Scale, Professional Identity Scale and the Work Engagement Scale were used in the study. A total of 880 questionnaires were distributed and 862 valid ones were retrieved with the effective recovery rate of 97.95%. Results In the 862 participant nurses, 247 (28.65%) nurses suffered from zero frequency workplace violence, 354 (41.07%) nurses suffered from low frequency workplace violence, 202 (23.43%) nurses suffered from intermediate frequency workplace violence, 59 (6.84%) nurses suffered from high frequency workplace violence. The total score of professional identity was (110.89±19.26) points; the total score of work engagement was (59.72±8.95) points; workplace violence scores were negatively correlated with the nurses' work engagement (P<0.05) ; the total score of nurses' professional identity and the scores of all dimensions were positively correlated with the scores of work engagement (P<0.05) ; Multiple linear regression analysis showed, nurse professional identity, workplace violence, professional title, working duration and education are the main influencing factors of their work engagement (P<0.01) . Conclusions The nurses' work engagement needs to be improved, and professional identity, workplace violence, professional title, length of work and education are the main influencing factors. It is suggested that clinical nursing managers should take measures to reduce the frequency of workplace violence, improve the working environment for the nurses so as to improve their working engagement level and ensure the quality of clinical nursing service. Key words: Nurses; Workplace violence; Professional identity; Work engagement

Incidence, Type, Related Factors, and Effect of Workplace Violence on Mental Health Nurses: A Cross-sectional Survey

Workplace violence and its impact on mental health nurses have yet to be thoroughly explored in China. This study aims to investigate the incidence, type, related factors, and effects of workplace violence on mental health nurses as well as identifying coping strategies. A researcher - designed workplace violence questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey were distributed to nurses at a mental health hospital in Wuhan, China. Most nurses reported a high incidence of workplace violence (94.6%) in the past year ranging from verbal aggression, sexual harassment, to physical attack. The forms of violence significantly correlated with each other (r>0.5, p=0.000). Working on the psychiatric intensive care unit for adult males and being a male nurse placed nurses at significantly higher risk for workplace violence. Providing routine treatment, caring for male patients, and working the night shift increased the risk of sexual harassment. Nurses who believed that workplace violence was preventable experienced a significantly lower incidence of violence. Burnout levels of the mental health nurses were relatively mild, but increased with age, professional title, years of employment and frequency of workplace violence. The incidence of workplace violence among mental health nurses is common, and its frequency is correlated with nurses' level of burnout. Management and clinical nurses should work together on an organization-wide strategy targeting the major identified risk areas to reduce the incidence of workplace violence and minimize its impact on nurses.

The Extent, Nature and Contributing Factors of Violence Against Iranian Emergency Medical Technicians

Background: Workplace Violence (WPV) is one of the most complex and dangerous occupational hazards faced by pre-hospital emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Objectives: This study aimed to assess the extent, nature and contributing factors of WPV against EMTs in Urmia, Iran. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 EMTs from April to October 2014. A questionnaire was used for collecting the data. Descriptive statistics were applied to the data. Results: Most of the participants (79%) experienced WPV during the past six months. Accident scene was the most important place of violence and the patients’ companions were the main perpetrators of violence. Overall, 76% of violence victims reported “lack of awareness of the EMTs’ duties” as the most important contributing factor for WPV. Conclusions: This study highlighted the high frequency of WPV against EMTs. Evidently, the health care systems’ officials would benefit from taking proper actions in this area, particularly by “staff and public education”.

Effects of Violence Prevention Behavior on Exposure to Workplace Violence and Threats: A Follow-Up Study.

This longitudinal study investigates the relationship between prevention behaviors, that is, enacted violence prevention policies, and exposure to workplace violence and threats across four different high risk work sectors: psychiatry, special schools, eldercare, and the prison and probation services. Logistic regression analysis of a 1-year follow-up sample of 3.016 employees from these four sectors shows that prevention behaviors are significantly and negatively associated with self-reported exposure to workplace violence and threats-in the prison and probation services, eldercare, and in psychiatry, while no significant associations are found for special schools. The results therefore show clear sector differences with regard to the preventive effect of violence prevention behaviors. Furthermore, this multisector comparison suggests that prevention behaviors are more effective in relation to a moderate frequency of violence and threats, and that only top management prevention behavior can prevent very frequent incidents (odds ratio [ OR] = 0.58). This study contributes to the literature by use of a longitudinal design and acceptable response rates, while also simultaneously investigating several high risk sectors. The results imply that when managing workplace violence in high risk areas of human service work, there should be emphasis on the use of violence prevention behaviors from top management, supervisor, and among coworkers. However, type of sector and the frequency of workplace violence should be analyzed to evaluate the potential impact of prevention behaviors.

Workplace violence towards Congolese health care workers: a survey of 436 healthcare facilities in Katanga province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The aim of this study was to investigate workplace violence by patients or their relatives towards health-care workers in Congolese hospitals. Through the autumn of 2012, a cross-sectional survey on workplace violence was conducted in a sample of 2,210 registered health-care workers (989 males and 1,221 females, aged 33 ± 8 years) from 436 hospitals located in the province of Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Verbal aggression, harassment and physical violence perpetrated by patients or their relatives within the previous year along with factors contributing to violence, were recorded, and the response rate was 99%. About 80.1% of the health-care workers had experienced one or more types of workplace violence. Overall, the severity of workplace violence varied from verbal aggression (57.4%) and harassment (15.2%) to physical violence (7.5%). Patients were the major perpetrators of verbal aggression and harassment, whereas patients' relatives were mainly involved in physical violence. The frequency of workplace violence was similar across hospitals. Male health-care workers were more likely to be victims of physical violence, whereas female health-care workers were the prime target for harassment. Only 34.3% of the violent episodes were reported to a supervisor. Furthermore, disrespect for medical deontology was the main cause of workplace violence perceived by 68.8% of the health-care workers. Although it has not been officially recognized, there has been workplace violence towards health-care workers perpetrated by patients or their relatives despite the fact that health-care workers have traditionally been highly respected in Congolese society. Further studies on this issue may suggest opportunities for combating violence in Congolese hospitals.

Examining the characteristics of workplace violence in one non‐tertiary hospital

This study sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of workplace violence directed at a volunteer sample of nurses at one non-tertiary hospital. Respondents' reasons for not reporting these incidents were also investigated. Incidents of workplace violence are increasing worldwide. However, no studies have investigated this phenomenon from the perspective of nurses in Western Australian non-tertiary hospitals. Survey. A survey was distributed to all 332 nurses working in several areas of one non-tertiary hospital in Western Australia to determine their experiences of workplace violence over a 12 month period. Of the 113 nurses who agreed to participate in this study, 75% reported experiencing workplace violence in the previous twelve months. When asked about their most recent incident, 50% of the nurses said they had reported it verbally, mostly to more senior staff. Only 16% of the nurses completed an official incident report. Reasons for not reporting included the view that WPV is just part of the job and the perception that management would not be responsive. This study showed that for this sample of nurses violent events are occurring at a rate that is similar to those reported in other studies. This finding should be of great concern to the organisation and the community in general. Organisations are obliged to improve the safety of the workplace environment for both staff and patients. The findings of our study may be of help to healthcare institutions in developing education programmes for nurses, patients and their friends and relatives to reduce the impact and frequency of workplace violence.

State Government Response to Workplace Violence

In a recent year over two million Americans reported being physically attacked on the job, resulting in $13.5 billion in medical costs. The magnitude, seriousness, and increasing frequency of workplace violence compels each state to establish a clear definition of the problem and take appropriate action to confront it. This study evaluates current workplace violence legislation throughout the 50 states using standards set forth by a federal court. The findings reveal that states do not fulfill the requirements of a comprehensive policy. Based upon the research, a developmental policy is created whereby states can protect their employees from harm and themselves from liability.