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

OBJECTIVE

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.

The impact of training program on nurses' attitudes toward workplace violence in Jordan

BackgroundNurses' attitudes toward workplace violence are still inadequately explored, and possess an impact in preventing, and managing the violent incidents and the quality of nursing care. Creating a demand for an effective intervention program to improve nurses' knowledge of and attitudes toward workplace violence.ObjectiveTo study the impact of the training program on nurses' attitudes toward workplace violence in a military hospital in Jordan.MethodsOne group before–after design was employed. A stratified random sample of 100 nurses working in three shifts was recruited. Data were collected earlier and after the preparation program using the Attitudes Toward Patient Physical Assault Questionnaire. “The Framework Guidelines for addressing workplace violence in the health sector”, was adopted in this work. The preparation sessions were for one day each week over five weeks. The post-test assessment was over five weeks using the same questionnaire.ResultsA total of 97 nurses completed the survey. The outcomes demonstrated the significant impact of the training program on nurses' attitudes towards workplace violence (t = 6. 62, df = 96, p = 0.000). The prevalence of verbal abuse by patients and visitors was 63.9% and for physical abuse, 7.2% were from patients and 3.1% of visitors. Most violent incidents occurred during day duty and during delivering nursing care (40.2% and 32%, respectively). Major source of emotional support for abused nurses was from the nursing team (88.7%), while the legal support was from nursing management (48.5%).ConclusionThe study highlights a general concern among nursing staff about workplace violence. Confirming that violence prevention education for staff is a necessary step forward to deescalate the problem. A significant effect of the training program was evident in this study.     

Incidence and risk factors of workplace violence against nurses in a Chinese top-level teaching hospital: A cross-sectional study

PurposeTo investigate the incidence of workplace violence involving nurses and to identify related risk factors in a high-quality Chinese teaching hospital.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used. The final sample comprised responses from 1831 registered nurses collected with a whole-hospital survey from June 1 to June 15, 2016. The demographic characteristics of the nurses who had experienced any form of violence were collected, and logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the risk factors for nurses related to workplace violence.ResultsOut of the total number of nurses surveyed, 904 (49.4%) nurses reported having experienced any type of violence in the past year. The frequencies of exposure to physical and non-physical violence were 6.3% (116) and 49.0% (897), respectively. All the incidence rates of violence were lower than those of other studies based on regional hospitals in China and were at the same level found in developed countries and districts. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that nurses at levels 2 to 4 and female nurses in clinical departments were the most vulnerable to non-physical violence. For physical violence, the two independent risk factors were working in an emergency department and having 6–10 years of work experience.ConclusionsWorkplace violence directly threatens nurses from high-quality Chinese teaching hospitals. However, the incidence of WPV against nurses in this teaching hospital was better than that in regional hospitals. This study also provides reference material to identify areas where nurses encounter relatively high levels of workplace violence in high-quality Chinese teaching hospitals.     

Workplace violence against nurses – Prevalence and association with hospital organizational characteristics and health-promotion efforts: Cross-sectional study

Purpose/objectivesTo determine the prevalence of workplace violence and explore the role of hospital organizational characteristics and health promotion efforts in reducing hospital violence among nurses in Taiwan.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingOne hundred hospitals across Taiwan.SampleThe final sample in our study comprised responses from 26,979 nurses.MethodsThe data were obtained from a nationwide hospital survey, Physical and Mental Health and Safety Needs in Full-Time Health Care Staff, which was developed and conducted by the Bureau of Health Promotion, Taiwan, in 2011.Main research variablesThe main dependent variable was whether nurses had experienced violence within the past year. Physical violence, threatened or intimidated personal safety, verbal violence or sexual harassment were all included.FindingsOf the 26,979 nurses, 13,392 nurses (49.6%) had experienced at least one episode of any type of violence in the past year; 5150 nurses (19.1%) had been exposed to physical violence, and 12,491 nurses (46.3%) had been exposed to non-physical violence. The prevalence of having experienced any violence varied widely and ranged from the highest (55.5%) in an emergency room or intensive care unit to the lowest (28.3%) among those aged 55–65 years. After adjusting for other characteristics, younger nurses were significantly more likely to be exposed to any violent threat. Nurses working in public hospitals had a significantly higher risk of workplace violence than those working in private hospitals. Significant variations were also observed among work units. Although nurses working in a certified health promoting hospital (HPH) did not have a lower risk of workplace violence, those working in an outstanding HPH had a significantly lower risk of workplace violence. A similar pattern was observed for non-physical violence.ConclusionsWorkplace violence is a major challenge to workplace safety for nurses in hospitals. This large scale nurse survey identified individual, work and hospital characteristics associated with workplace violence among hospital nurses. Preventive efforts in reducing hospital violence shall be targeted these high risk groups and settings.Implications for nursingThis nationwide nurse survey assisted us in more clearly understanding the scope of the hospital violence facing nurses and identifying critical risk factors. The findings not only identified the most common locations of violence in hospitals but also suggested that extensive investments and efforts by hospitals in health promotion are crucial.     

Percepción del mobbing entre el personal de enfermería de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos

Aimto determine the perception of intensive care unit nursing staff on mobbing.Methodqualitative approach study, Grounded Theory was used, 12 intensive care unit nurses of 2 public hospitals in our country during December 2017.Resultsfemale sex predominated with an average age of 41.33 years old, mostly married, on night shift and trained a nursing technicians; 4 categories emerged: general knowledge about mobbing, the origin of mobbing and its main actors, experiences of mobbing as a victim and as a spectator and the implications of mobbing in working life.Discussionissues of workplace harassment are sensitive for most health workers, since they deal with private situations and lack of support from superiors when they have been victims of harassment. The evidence shows that one of the reasons why mobbing can be perceived in different ways is because little is known about the real concept, it can be associated with multiple forms of violence and there is heterogeneity in the use of the term.Conclusionthe majority of intensive care unit nursing staff have been victims and witnesses of mobbing behaviour, with negative repercussions on their job satisfaction and performance; It is also the cause of constant staff turnover.     

Workplace violence experienced by nursing students: A UK survey

AimsTo appreciate the nature and scope of workplace violence amongst a sample of the UK nursing student population during clinical placement and to recommend strategies universities can implement to successfully manage the impact.BackgroundWorkplace violence is defined as a violent act(s) directed toward workers and can include physical, psychological or verbal behaviour. It is prevalent in nursing and causes victims work-based stress that can affect not only the individual but also the quality of care. Similar negative experiences amongst students can have a direct impact on the development of future professional skills.DesignThis study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Questions were uploaded in the format of a commercial internet survey provider (SurveyMonkey.com) and distributed across a sample of nursing schools in the UK. The survey was voluntary and employed a validated tool to assess workplace violence and was based on a similar study in Australia. The number of respondents was 657. This paper reports on the quantitative results.FindingsNearly half of the students (42.18%) indicated they had experienced bullying/harassment in the past year while on clinical placement. One-third (30.4%) had witnessed bullying/harassment of other students and 19.6% of incidents involved a qualified nurse. The unwanted behaviours made some students consider leaving nursing (19.8%). Some respondents said the standard of patient care (12.3%) and their work with others (25.9%) were negatively affected.ConclusionsWorkplace violence can influence nursing students' attitude toward the profession and their level of satisfaction with the work. Whilst it was reassuring to note that the majority of the participants knew where/how to report, only one fifth had actively reported an episode of bullying/harassment. Current students are the nurses and leaders of the future and have a key role in shaping the culture of generations to come. Universities and clinical providers need to work together to reduce the incidence and impact of workplace violence in order to improve the culture of practice.     

Use of aromatherapy to promote a therapeutic nurse environment

BackgroundWorkplace stress can affect nurse satisfaction. Aroma therapy as a therapeutic use of essential oil can be beneficial in reducing stress.PurposeAssess perceived stress pre-post introduction of Essential Oil Lavender among registered nurses, charge nurses, and patient care technicians in a trauma intensive care unit, surgical specialty care unit and an orthopedic trauma unit.MethodsPre-post intervention with a quasi-experimental design. After a pre-survey, Essential Oil Lavender was diffused 24 h per day over 30 days in a designated nursing area that all nurses were not required to enter on each unit.ResultsDependent sample t-test for “how often do nurses feel stressed a work in a typical week” revealed pre-survey mean 2.97 (SD = 0.99) which was significantly higher than post-survey mean 2.70 (SD = 0.92) with significance, t(69) = 2.36, p = 0.021, suggesting a difference in how often staff felt stressed at work in a typical week, trending down from “feeling stressed half of time” to “once in a while”. There were no statistically significant differences in pre-post survey scores for TICU, TOU, or SSC as separate units.RelevanceUse of essential oils to decrease work-related stress among nursing staff may improve retention, workplace environment, and increase nurse satisfaction.     

Prevalence of Workplace Violence Against Chinese Nurses and Its Association with Mental Health: A Cross-sectional Survey

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study to investigate the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV) in nurses in hospitals in China, and its influence on nurses' mental health.

The influence of personal dispositional factors and organizational resources on workplace violence, burnout, and health outcomes in new graduate nurses: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe alarmingly high rate of illness-related absenteeism among nurses and recent reports of workplace violence and burnout are problematic for both the current workforce shortage and the recruitment and retention of new nurses.ObjectivesTo test a model derived from Leiter and Maslach's (2004) Six Areas of Worklife Model linking workplace factors (six areas of worklife, experiences of bullying and burnout) and a personal dispositional factor (psychological capital) to new graduates mental and physical health in their first year of practice.MethodsA cross-sectional survey design was utilized to survey 165 Ontario nurses with one year or less experience in nursing. Participants completed measures of nurses’ work environment quality, psychological capital, bullying exposure, burnout, and physical and mental health. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized model.ResultsThe fit indices suggested a reasonably adequate fit of the data to the hypothesized model (χ² = 27.75, df = 12, CFI = .97, IFI = .97, RMSEA = .09), however an additional direct path from psychological capital to emotional exhaustion substantially improved the model fit (χ² = 17.94, df = 11, CFI = .99, IFI = .99, RMSEA = .06). Increased psychological capital positively influenced nurses’ perceived person-job fit, which in turn was negatively related to bullying exposure and emotional exhaustion, and ultimately influenced their physical and mental health.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that psychological capital and perceived person-job fit are key variables in new graduate nurses’ worklife, which may contribute to decreased nurses’ burnout and increased physical and mental well-being. The results support an expanded conceptualization of the Areas of Worklife Model.     

Bullying,discrimination, and sexual harassment among intensive care unit nurses in Australia and New Zealand: An online survey

BackgroundBullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment are significant problems within healthcare organisations but are often under-reported. Consequences of these behaviours within a healthcare setting are wide ranging, affecting workplace environments, personal well-being, and patient care and leading to increased staff turnover and quality of patient care and outcomes. Whilst there has been some work undertaken in the general nursing workforce, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the extent and impact of these behaviours on the nursing workforce in intensive care units (ICUs) in Australia and New Zealand.ObjectiveWe aimed to determine self-reported occurrences of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment amongst ICU nurses in Australia and New Zealand.MethodsA prospective, cross-sectional, online survey of ICU nurses in Australia and New Zealand was undertaken in May–June 2021, distributed through formal colleges, societies, and social media. Questions included demographics and three separate sections addressing bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination.ResultsIn 679 survey responses, the overall reported occurrences of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment in the last 12 months were 57.1%, 32.6%, and 1.9%, respectively. Perpetrators of bullying were predominantly nurses (59.6%, with 57.9% being ICU nurses); perpetrators of discrimination were nurses (51.7%, with 49.3% being ICU nurses); and perpetrators of sexual harassment were patients (34.6%). Respondents most commonly (66%) did not report these behaviours as they did not feel confident that the issue would be resolved or addressed.ConclusionsDetermining the true extent of bullying, discrimination, and sexual harassment behaviours within the ICU nursing community in Australia and New Zealand is difficult; however, it is clear a problem exists. These behaviours require recognition, reporting, and an effective resolution, rather than normalisation within healthcare professions and workplace settings in order to support and retain ICU nursing staff.     

Patient aggression in intensive care: A qualitative study of staff experiences

BackgroundWorkplace violence comprises abuse, assaults, threats, and harassment. Reaching epidemic proportions in healthcare, workplace violence compromises staff and patient safety and service efficiency and effectiveness. Although workplace violence is a nontrivial problem in intensive care, little is known about circumstances in which violence occurs in this setting.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to describe and reflect upon aggression towards staff in the intensive care unit (ICU) from the perspectives of staff members.MethodsWe investigated workplace violence in a qualitative study with data collected from semistructured interviews with 19 staff members of a 10-bed ICU, analysed using a framework approach.FindingsAll participants reported witnessing or experiencing physical and/or verbal aggression. While acknowledging that ‘any patient’ could become aggressive, participants differentiated ‘any patients admitted for treatment of somatic illnesses’ from ‘dangerous’ patients and interpreted violence differently dependent on characteristics of perpetrators. ‘Dangerousness’ was associated with patients who had a comorbid mental illness. Aggression of ‘dangerous patients’ was construed as intentional and/or ‘normal aberrant’ behaviour for the individual. Staff reported feeling ill-prepared to work effectively with this cohort and having difficulty responding empathically. Mental health services were considered ‘responsible’ for managing patients' drug use, personality, and psychiatric problems.ConclusionPerceived knowledge and skill deficits, as well as stigma when engaging with certain subpopulations, contribute to workplace violence in the ICU setting. ICU staff members seek education and support to improve management of patients and reduce risk of violence. However, effectiveness depends on robust service and organisational commitment and strategies to promote workplace health and safety.     

职场正念在护士工作绩效与职场暴力经历中的中介作用

目的评估护理职场暴力经历、工作绩效现状,分析职场正念在护士工作绩效与职场暴力经历中的中介效应。方法采用便利抽样法,于2016年3—5月采用医疗职场暴力问卷、工作绩效量表和职场正念量表对我国8个省份776名护士遭遇的职场暴力、工作绩效以及职场正念进行调查,采用相关性分析以及中介效应分析方法评价三者关系以及职场正念的中介作用。结果共收集776份问卷,有效问卷696份。696名护士医疗职场暴力问卷得分为(1.21±0.78)分,职场正念量表得分为(4.74±0.63)分,工作绩效量表得分为(3.77±0.96)分。Pearson相关分析显示,护士工作绩效与职场正念呈正相关(r=0.235,P<0.01);护理职场暴力与工作绩效(r=-0.098,P<0.05)、职场正念与职场暴力(r=-0.217,P<0.01)呈负相关。职场暴力对工作绩效的总效应为(β=-0.1306,P<0.01),职场正念在两者关系之间扮演中介角色,中介效应为-0.0675。结论在职场中经历的患者及家属暴力会破坏护士的职业沉浸度、警觉以及组织接纳水平,从而制约了护理工作绩效发挥,故增加护士在预防暴力方面的培训以及应对暴力的干预具有重要意义。     

Psychosocial precursors and physical consequences of workplace violence towards nurses: A longitudinal examination with naturally occurring groups in hospital settings

BackgroundWorkplace violence towards nurses is prevalent and consequential, contributing to nurses’ reduced health and safety, worsened job attitudes, and compromised productivity.ObjectivesTo examine if organizational violence prevention climate as perceived by nurses predicts nurses’ physical violence exposure and if physical violence exposure predicts nurses’ somatic symptoms and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms.DesignA two-wave longitudinal design with naturally occurring groups, with a 6-month interval.MethodsAnalysis of covariance and logistic regression were applied to test the proposed hypotheses among 176 nurses from two hospitals in the U.S. who participated in both surveys required by this study. All nurses from the two hospitals were recruited to participate voluntarily. The response rate was 30% for the first survey and 36% for the follow-up survey. Among the subjects, only 8 were male. On average, the subjects were about 45 years old, had a job tenure of about 17 years, and worked approximately 37 h per week.ResultsViolence prevention climate, specifically the dimension of perceived pressure against violence prevention, predicted nurses’ chance of being exposed to physical violence over six months (odds ratio 1.69), with no evidence found that violence exposure affected change in climate reports. In addition, results supported that nurses’ physical violence exposure had effects on somatic symptoms, and upper body, lower extremity, and low back pain over six months.ConclusionsFindings of this study suggest that reducing organizational pressure against violence prevention will help decrease the chance of nurses’ physical violence exposure and benefit their health and safety.     

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses in Scotland: A cross-sectional study using the Scottish Health Survey

BackgroundIncreasing prevalence of overweight and obesity represents a global pandemic. As the largest occupational group in international healthcare systems nurses are at the forefront of health promotion to address this pandemic. However, nurses own health behaviours are known to influence the extent to which they engage in health promotion and the public's confidence in advice offered. Estimating the prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses is therefore important. However, to date, prevalence estimates have been based on non-representative samples and internationally no studies have compared prevalence of overweight and obesity among nurses to other healthcare professionals using representative data.ObjectivesTo estimate overweight and obesity prevalence among nurses in Scotland, and compare to other healthcare professionals and those working in non-heath related occupations.DesignCross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample of five aggregated annual rounds (2008–2012) of the Scottish Health Survey.SettingScotland.Participants13,483 adults aged 17–65 indicating they had worked in the past 4 weeks, classified in four occupational groups: nurses (n = 411), other healthcare professionals (n = 320), unqualified care staff (n = 685), and individuals employed in non-health related occupations (n = 12,067).Main outcome measuresPrevalence of overweight and obesity defined as Body Mass Index ≥ 25.0.MethodsEstimates of overweight and obesity prevalence in each occupational group were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A logistic regression model was then built to compare the odds of being overweight or obese with not being overweight or obese for nurses in comparison to the other occupational categories. Data were analysed using SAS 9.1.3.Results69.1% (95% CI 64.6, 73.6) of Scottish nurses were overweight or obese. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher in nurses than other healthcare professionals (51.3%, CI 45.8, 56.7), unqualified care staff (68.5%, CI 65.0, 72.0) and those in non-health related occupations (68.9%, CI 68.1, 69.7). A logistic regression model adjusted for socio-demographic composition indicated that, compared to nurses, the odds of being overweight or obese was statistically significantly lower for other healthcare professionals (Odds Ratio [OR] 0.45, CI 0.33, 0.61) and those in non-health related occupations (OR 0.78, CI 0.62, 0.97).ConclusionsPrevalence of overweight and obesity among Scottish nurses is worryingly high, and significantly higher than those in other healthcare professionals and non-health related occupations. High prevalence of overweight and obesity potentially harms nurses’ own health and hampers the effectiveness of nurses’ health promotion role. Interventions are therefore urgently required to address overweight and obesity among the Scottish nursing workforce.     

Self-reported long-term conditions of nurses and midwives across a northern Australian health service: A survey

BackgroundAlthough nurses generally constitute the largest component of the health workforce there is no systematic collection of data about their health status. Similarly, little is known about how nurses manage any long-term condition they may have, which could contribute to their reducing hours of employment or leaving the workforce completely. Such information will become more important against the backdrop of a global shortage of nurses, and ageing of the nursing population.ObjectivesThis study aimed to identify the types and impacts of reported long-term conditions, and strategies employed by nurses to manage their conditions.DesignA cross-sectional survey design was used.SettingsThe setting was a large regional health service in North Queensland, Australia, comprising a tertiary referral hospital, two residential aged care facilities and several rural and remote hospitals and community health services.ParticipantsAll full-time, part-time and casual nurses and midwives employed within the health service were invited to participate; 665 (30.9%) completed surveys were returned.MethodsA paper-based questionnaire, comprising six sections, was individually addressed to all potential participants, together with reply-paid envelopes for returning completed questionnaires. The anonymous questionnaire took approximately 15 to 25 min to complete, less time if the nurse reported no long-term conditions.ResultsThree-fifths of respondents had at least one long-term condition. Respondents older than 50 years were statistically more likely to report having at least one long-term condition (χ² = 5.64, p = 0.018). Back pain, migraine and asthma were the most frequently reported individual conditions; more than one-quarter of respondents reported a condition relating to mental health and wellbeing. Respondents who reported more than one long-term condition compared to a single long-term condition were statistically more likely to have had more years of nursing experience (t = 02.2, p = 0.03). Nurses used a combination of varied personal and workplace strategies for many conditions; however personal strategies were most frequently used for all conditions.ConclusionsThis survey elicited information about reported long-term conditions, and strategies that nurses used to manage the condition they considered most important to them. We recommend that further investigation into how the full range of workplace strategies could be implemented to assist nurses to manage long-term conditions.     

Who would want to be a nurse? Violence in the workplace – a factor in recruitment and retention

In a climate of a declining nursing workforce where violence and hostility is a part of the day-to-day lives of most nurses, it is timely to name violence as a major factor in the recruitment and retention of registered nurses in the health system. Workplace violence takes many forms such as aggression, harassment, bullying, intimidation and assault. Violent acts are perpetrated against nurses from various quarters including patients, relatives, other nurses and other professional groups. Research suggests that nurse managers are implicated in workplace violence and bullying. Furthermore, there may be a direct link between episodes of violence and aggression towards nurses and sick leave, burnout and poor recruitment and retention rates. This paper explores what is known about workplace violence as it affects nurses, and calls for managerial support and policy to act to improve work environments for all nurses.