The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of a professional nursing team exposed to institutional violence, to discuss how these experiences influence their routine lives and their service organization as well as learn about the events which provoke these violent attitudes. The subjects of this study were eleven professionals of the nursing team. Data was collected through interviews and analyzed by using thematic analysis, organized in categories: violent situations involving the nursing staff, the influence of violence in the workplace and service organization and contributing causes of violent attitudes against the nursing team. The results show that professionals are more prone to violent behavior in the workplace due to longer permanence and greater interaction with patients and caregivers.