148 Shift work and workplace violence against healthcare workers in psychiatric wards: a case-control study

Abstract

Introduction Workplace violence (WPV) towards healthcare workers (HCWs) employed in psychiatric wards (PWs) represeants a concern for healthcare organisations, globally. To date there is a lack of scientific data about the relationship between work-shifts and the occurrence of WPV against PW HCWs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between work shift schedules and WPV among registered nurses (RNs) working on non-traditional shifts, including nights and 12 hour shifts. Methods The authors conducted a cross-sectional nested casecontrol analysis of data regarding the episodes of WPV perpetrated by patients or their relatives against RNs employed in two PWs, in the period between January-December 2016. Results The one-year incidence of WPV was 31,50 per 100 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions. Cumulative nightshifts were significant for 3 or more nightshifts compared to working less than 3 nightshifts during the 7 days prior to the occurrence of WPV; additionally, RNs working 9 or more night-shifts showed higer risk of experiencing WPV compared to RNs working less than 4 night-shifts in the previous 28 days. Discussion In the present study the occurrence of WPV against PW RNs was significantly correlated with shift-work; as consequence, the findings support the need of organisational interventions aimed at preventing the WPV and targeted on the management of shift-work schedules, with the aim of:. limiting the night shifts up to two per week and up eight per month; . adopting constant forward-rotating shift schedules.

Violence Against Healthcare Workers: A Worldwide Phenomenon With Serious Consequences

“…Sanctioning of violence by patients, relatives or visitors must be imposed. Staff should be increased and security officers should be placed, particularly at night, in remote Health Posts and Emergency Departments and at particular times (violence tends to happen in the evenings/nights, when more patients under the influence of drugs and alcohol present); the number of night shifts should be limited (23). Efforts should be made to improve job satisfaction of HCWs (25).…”

“…The consequences of violence against HCWs can be very serious: deaths or life-threatening injuries ( 15 ), reduced work interest, job dissatisfaction, decreased retention, more leave days, impaired work functioning ( 22 ), depression, post-traumatic stress disorder ( 23 ), decline of ethical values, increased practice of defensive medicine ( 24 ). Workplace violence is associated directly with higher incidence of burnout, lower patient safety, and more adverse events ( 25 ).…”

Associations Between Workplace Violence, Mental Health, and Physical Health among Korean Workers: The Fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey

“…to improve shift schedules might help prevent WPV in health care workplace (D'Ettorre et al, 2019). Without regular WPV prevention programs, including those involving management and employee participation, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, safety and health training, and recordkeeping and program evaluation, workers have a limited ability to communicate their safety and health risks to leadership (Arbury et al, 2017).…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence Against Emergency Department Nurses in China

“…Large-scale studies about HCWs have already been established [ 13 , 14 ], and prospective studies [ 15 , 16 ] and longitudinal studies [ 17 , 18 ] as well. However, only small-scale cross-sectional studies, sample size was less than 500, about ED nurses were done in China and abroad [ 5 , 19 ].…”