...Violence Against Nurses in the Emergency Department Kimberly L. Kirk Professional Nursing Practice of the Baccalaureate Nurse August 8, 2014 Violence against Nurses in the Emergency Department According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence is defined as “an act of aggression directed toward persons at work or on duty, ranging from offensive or threatening language to homicide” (Wolf, Delao & Perhats, 2014, p.305). Workplace violence (WPV) can include verbal, physical, and emotional abuse, or any type of threatening behavior that can cause physical or emotional harm. According to the Emergency Nurse’s Association Position Statement (2010), “workplace violence is a serious occupational risk for the emergency nursing workforce and has been recognized as a violent crime that requires targeted responses from employers, law enforcement, and the community.” Due to the lack of research concerning workplace violence and other barriers such as underreporting, failure to prosecute, and lack of management support the enormity, of this issue is grossly underrepresented. Individuals who assault ER nurses should be prosecuted. Without increased and consistent prosecution for assault on emergency nurses, patients and families will still think it’s acceptable to physically or verbally assault a nurse. As the ENA position statement (2010) proposes, stronger legislation is necessary to help decrease the view that violence...
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...JONA Volume 39, Number 7/8, pp 340-349 Copyright B 2009 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins THE JOURNAL OF NURSING ADMINISTRATION Violence Against Nurses Working in US Emergency Departments Jessica Gacki-Smith, MPH Altair M. Juarez, MPH Lara Boyett, MSN, RN, ACNP-BC, CEN Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate emergency nurses’ experiences and perceptions of violence from patients and visitors in US emergency departments (EDs). Background: The ED is a particularly vulnerable setting for workplace violence, and because of a lack of standardized measurement and reporting mechanisms for violence in healthcare settings, data are scarce. Methods: Registered nurse members (n = 3,465) of the Emergency Nurses Association participated in this cross-sectional study by completing a 69-item survey. Results: Approximately 25% of respondents reported experiencing physical violence more than 20 times in the past 3 years, and almost 20% reported experiencing verbal abuse more than 200 times during the same period. Respondents who experienced frequent physical violence and/or frequent verbal abuse indicated fear of retaliation and lack of support from hospital administration and ED management as barriers to reporting workplace violence. Conclusion: Violence against ED nurses is highly prevalent. Precipitating factors to violent incidents identified by respondents is consistent with the research literature; however, there is considerable potential to mitigate...
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...healthcare do not come from blood borne pathogens, chemical exposures or falls, but comes directly from people as evident in workplace violence(Fernandes, Bouthillette, Raboud, Bullock, Moore, Rae, Ouellet, Gillrie & Way, 1999). The effects of workplace violence is far-reaching and costly(Hoag-Apel, 1998). In fact according to the international council of nurses “ health care workers are more likely to be attacked at work than prison guards and police officers”(ICN, 2009). The aim of this essay is to critically appraise a systematic review of the literature based on workplace violence in the emergency department and to identify characteristics of interventional studies to guide best practice. This review will discuss current practices in reference to NSW health policy and guidelines, critique the systematic review by (Taylor & Rew, 2010) in terms of discussing methodology and provided a comprehensive overview of (Taylor & Rew, 2010) article(Hoag-Apel, 1998) (NSW Health, 2005). Finally, this review will attempt to recommend a change in practice in terms of the research question of what are the suggested interventions for workplace violence in the ED conducted by studies from 2004 ? Based on best evidence based practice and research(Hoag-Apel, 1998) . Although healthcare professionals and exclusively nurses are at higher risk of workplace violence, NSW legislation doesn’t reflect the increase risk associated or current international concerns(Hoag-Apel, 1998) . In NSW it is...
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...Kerstin Duncan NRS-433V Introduction to Nursing Research July 7, 2012 Professor Maria Baptiste Violence in the Emergency Department Reference: Gates, D., M., Gillespie, G., L., & Succop, P. (2011). Violence against nurses and its impact on stress and productivity. Nursing Economic$, 29(2), 59-67. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rzh&AN=2010999034&site=ehost-live&scope=site Abstract: XXX The purpose of this study was to examine how violence from patients and visitors is related to emergency department (ED) nurses' work productivity and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). XXX Researchers have found ED nurses experience a high prevalence of physical assaults from patients and visitors. Yet, there is little research which examines the effect violent events have on nurses' productivity, particularly their ability to provide safe and compassionate patient care. XXX A cross-sectional design was used to gather data from ED nurses who are members of the Emergency Nurses Association in the United States. Participants were asked to complete the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and Healthcare Productivity Survey in relation to a stressful violent event. XXX Ninety-four percent of nurses experienced at least one posttraumatic stress disorder symptom after a violent event, with 17% having scores high enough to...
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...restriction, auto accident, personal injury, alarm activated/reset, maintenance, lost and found. There is also the issue of workplace violence, which has increased and has become a serious issue in health care. Our health care workers are at higher risk for experiencing violence than workers in any other industry. Workplace violence includes any incident at the workplace that results in physical or psychological injury to someone, damage to property, or loss of productivity (Sells, 2000, p. 338). b. The expectation for reporting incidents in the workplace is to make the management aware so that they can be committed to the safety of their employees and also to set expectations regarding what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. Also, as employees they must do their parts in properly reporting the violent incidents to management. The security team will provide the employee with the incident report form or reporting tool. This form can also be used by external sources such as, police if they need to do a follow on the situation. The documentation will provide factual detail of what happen if the person is prosecuted or for other legal reasons. Mandatory reporting is required by some facilities, and that include incidents against visitors, patients and co-workers. Zero tolerance policy will accompany mandatory reporting. Zero-tolerance is a violence prevention method in which there is absolutely no tolerance for inappropriate behaviors and activities. The policy also...
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...Abd el Rahman Afify Egifix Medical GDGB15 Workplace violence 1. Definitions of work place violence There is No single, uniform definition for workplace violence so far exists. Different relevant institutions and researchers have suggested several definitions and classifications. The terms used also differ. 1.1. The World Health Organisation (WHO) uses a broader definition and defines workplace violence as ‘intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person or against a group or community that either results in, or has a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, death, psychological harm, wrong development or deprivation’. 1. ------------------------------------------------- Justification of the Definition * Violence is intentional; the definition excludes unintentional incidents. * Violence is related to the health or well-being of individuals. According to WHO, certain behaviours may be regarded by some people as acceptable cultural practices, but are considered violent acts with important health implications for the individual. * It includes acts arising out of power relations, including threats and intimidation. * It opens the field of the consequences of violence to results that transcend damage and death and include psychological harm, deprivation and wrong development. * The definition implicitly includes all acts of violence, public and private, reactive or proactive. ...
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...different methods on violence against healthcare workers in different types of healthcare organizations throughout the nation. Background: In this study, workplace violence has been documented in all healthcare organizations from the U.S, UK, Palestinian, Riyadh, and Norwegian. However, different violence approaches have developed throughout the healthcare settings. These approaches can be either verbal or physical assaults. They are also handled differently in each country. Inclusion criteria: Studies estimated the use of different type of violence towards the nurses, physicians in different healthcare organizations where the violence took place was included in different countries....
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...Another study identified several other factors that take a financial burden on the health care system, including property damage, increased security, litigation, and workers’ compensation (Gates, Gillespie, & Succop, 2011). The workplace environment itself has been shown to affect feelings of safety among nursing staff in EDs . Howerton Child & Sussman (2017) incorporated a criminological theory into their study. In summary, the Broken Windows Theory states that when lower levels of crime or violence are accepted in society, it inadvertently creates a societal tolerance of higher levels of violence. As stated in the Joint Position Statement by the CNA and CFNU, “every workplace should have a culture that promotes and cultivates a respectful...
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...how odd the whole thing was I turned on the TV and was shocked at what I was looking at. It was near real time coverage of a mass shooting on Fort Hood. Initial reports were sketchy but what they knew was that there were many dead and/or wounded, and the shooter was in uniform. Later it was revealed that the shooter was an Army psychologist by the name of MAJ Nadal Hassan, that he may or may not have acted alone, and he was a terrorist. This is a term in the US which is attached with a particular gravity, and extreme recourse, for terrorist are not mere criminals, but enemies of the state. There are a number of constitutional powers that are weapons against such an adversary. But is MAJ Nidal Hassan truly a terrorist, or is this just a workplace shooting? As the almighty political media spin machines power up, they were quick to label him terrorist; however it will stand out as a clear misuse of the term. MAJ Nidal Hassan is no more a terrorist than you or I, and his crime however tragic, is just a clear act of premeditated murder. I had the unique displeasure on meeting Nidal Hassan in the ladder months of 2008. Winter had nearly run its course and the north winds were starting to lose their icy bite. I was...
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...Case study No.1 Workplace violence Problem definition Workplace violence occurs in a work setting which is an act of aggression, physical assault, or threatening behavior that causes physical or emotional harm and endangers the health or safety of the customers, coworkers, or managers. Justification of the Problem There are many causes of Workplace violence including economic, societal, psychological, and organizations issues. The economic causes are an over-stressed population, re-organizing departments, growth of technology, recession, and unemployment. Many people have the opinion that the societal causes of workplace violence are many; a changing society, violence on television and in the movies, music. Physiological causes of workplace violence may also be the result of employees who have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual abuse from childhood. The role that organizations play in workplace violence includes; organizational structure, the lack of a forum to address grievances, threats of violence, creativity and new ideas being discouraged. Empowered employees and a voice in the decision-making process are lacking. Many workers may look at violence as being part of their job; a risk they are expected to endure. Cases of verbal abuse are often seen as not worth reporting, particularly when the employer is not supportive of the worker’s claim. For these reasons, the actual statistical extent of violence is not really known. List of Alternatives 1...
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...Workplace violence Workplace violence is one of most dangerous issues that high risky to people (workers or customers) who present within workplace. Also statistics shows that most common was simple assaults 1.5 million a year &this type of violence has a negative effect on economics as cost 500,000 employees 1,175,100 lost work days each year, Lost wages: $55 million annually, Lost productivity, legal expenses, Property damage diminished public image, increased security. Definition:- Most people think of violence as a physical assault. However, workplace violence is a much broader problem. It is any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or heremployment. Workplace violence includes:“justification for Problem Definition” Threatening behavior - such as shaking fists, destroying property or throwing objects. Verbal or written threats - any expression of an intent to inflict harm. Harassment- any behavior that demeans, embarrasses, humiliates, annoys, alarms or verbally abuses a person and that is known or would be expected to be unwelcome. This includes words, gestures, intimidation, bullying, or other inappropriate activities. Verbal abuse - swearing, insults or condescending language. Physical attacks - hitting, shoving, pushing or kicking “Canadian center for occupational and safety” In hospitals work place violence had different forms as prevalence of handguns and other weapons among patients, their families or...
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...What is workplace violence? Workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. It can occur at or outside the workplace and can range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide, one of the leading causes of job-related deaths. However it manifests itself, workplace violence is a growing concern for employers and employees nationwide. Who is vulnerable? Some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Workplace violence can strike anywhere, and no one is immune. Some workers, however, are at increased risk. Among them are workers who exchange money with the public; deliver passengers, goods, or services; or work alone or in small groups, during late night or early morning hours, in high-crime areas, or in community settings and homes where they have extensive contact with the public. This group includes health-care and social service workers such as visiting nurses, psychiatric evaluators, and probation officers; community workers such as gas and water utility employees, phone and cable TV installers, and letter carriers; retail workers; and taxi drivers. what to do if they witness or are subjected to workplace violence, and how to protect themselves. s Secure the workplace. Where appropriate to the business, install video surveillance, extra lighting, and alarm systems and minimize access by outsiders through identification badges, electronic keys, and guards. s ...
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...CCJS345: Introduction to Security Professor Michael A. Jackson Final Project: Case Study Presented by: James W. Johnson 04 November 2012 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………..……………………………………..iii Facility Overview……....…………….……………………………………………...……….......iv Current Crime Prevention and Security Measures in Place............................................................iv Physical Limitations.…………………………..…………….…………………………………….v Optional Physical Security………..………………........................................................................vi Information and Records Security………..………........................................................................vi Emergency and Response Planning...............................................................................................vii OSHA Standards and Violaton….…………………………………………….……………..….xiii Hiring Practices……………...….…………………………………………….……………..….xiii Legal Issues…..……………...….…………………………………………….……………..……ix Conclusion……………...….…………………………………………….……………..………...ix References…………………………………………………………………….……………..…….x Introduction The purpose of this paper is to design a security plan for the Maryland Public Safety Education and Training Center (MPSETC) that, at a minimum, identifies the facility assets requiring protection, the criticality of those assets, the various threats directed at the assets and the probability of loss...
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...WORKING SAFELY IN COMMUNITY SERVICES 2ND EDITION OCTOBER 2006 PUBLIC SECTOR AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This publication is based on the Community Services Safety Pack developed by WorkCover New South Wales in consultation with its community services organisations, including the Council of Social Services of New South Wales (NCOSS). This version has been developed to ensure compliance with Victorian law and to incorporate helpful contact information. Consultation with Victoria’s community services peak bodies and relevant government departments informed its adaptation. Please note: if your organisation provides homecare services you should also refer to the Victorian Home Care Industry Occupational Health and Safety Guide that specifically covers home maintenance, meals on wheels, respite, attendant care and personal care. COMMUNITY SERVICES OHS INFORMATION PACK Community services workers play a vital role in caring for our people and helping to maintain a quality of life expected in Australian society, often in challenging and confronting circumstances. The Victorian community services sector employs more than 60,000 people and many volunteers who are committed to providing services that enhance the physical, mental and social wellbeing of individuals. Community services work can be very rewarding, but it can also present challenges in delivering outcomes in a way that balances the rights of clients with the safety and wellbeing of employees. Nobody...
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...Running head: DIFFUSING ANGRY PATIENTS AND VIOLENCE 2 Assessing and Diffusing the Angry Patient to Prevent Workplace Violence The decline of manners is well noted in society with bullying rampant in the schools and a new breed of language such as “road rage”, going “postal” and “whacked” becoming accepted mainstream lingo. In service transactions, which do include nursing, rudeness is widespread where the customer (i.e., the patient) has the mentality that s/he is always right. Moreover, the healthcare setting, a place where one usually goes for necessities, not optional visits, is often scenes of chaos fraught with intense anxiety and nerves. Those moods and environment coupled together is a powder keg for violence; unfortunately, workplace violence for healthcare workers. Workplace violence (WPV) can take many forms, including verbal and emotional abuse; physical assault; threats of physical violence; bullying, unwanted sexual advances; and various forms of harassment (Chapman, Perry, Styles & Combs, 2009). According to the CDC, healthcare workers are four times more likely to be assaulted in the workplace than people who work in the private sector (Moz, 2009). Nurses are vulnerable to WPV given their occupation requirements and need to interact with patients. Of the various specialties of nursing, nurses who work in the emergency departments (ED), psychiatric units, and nursing homes, often encountered the greatest risk...
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