Workplace Violence Against Nurses: Challenges and Solutions for Europe

Abstract

We report the results of a mapping exercise by the European Federation of Nurses (EFN) on challenges and solutions related to violence against nurses. This is an issue of growing international concern, with the problem accentuated during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a cross-sectional observational design, an online questionnaire was distributed among 35 national nurses’ associations across Europe in March 2021. Face validity was achieved through an expert panel. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis, including counts, percentages, and tabulation. Qualitative data analysis followed thematic synthesis techniques. Three main findings are noted. First, violent incidents against nurses are under-reported due to fear of victimization, employer discouragement, and the perception that reporting will not make any difference. Second, perpetrators of violent acts extend beyond patients and families to include health professionals of different ranks. Third, violent incidences have a significant adverse effect on nurses’ health and retention, leading to nurses reducing their working hours or opting for part-time work. Violence against nurses is an expression of a broader problem that is rooted in the failure to recognize and manage violence at the level of the healthcare organization, and the absence of appropriate legislation to maintain minimum standards of safe working environments. This is partly the result of inadequate European Union-wide legislation targeting workplace violence in the health professions. Nurses need more institutional support through dedicated funding aimed at targeted interventions, more legislative commitment to ratify policies against discrimination, and an opportunity to voice the needs to the appropriate policymakers with the ability to bring significant change to existing conditions. Given the severity of the situation, inaction could lead to irreplaceable damage to the nursing workforce, compounding pressures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this situation can further drive existing nurses out of the profession, weakening health systems worldwide.

Critical Care Nurses’ Perceptions of Abuse and Its Impact on Healthy Work Environments in Five European Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Our study showed that nurses in critical care units are exposed to workplace abuse; 62.5% of them had experienced at least one incident in the past year. This is not a surprising finding, because other authors have obtained similar data [18][19][20][21][22][23]. In their study, Cheraghi et al found that 74.1% of nurses had been exposed to some form of abuse similar to the results from our study [18].…”

Workplace Violence Experienced by Personal Care Workers in a District in Seoul, Republic of Korea: A Comparison Study with Office and Service Workers

“…Workplace violence against personal care workers results in physical and psychological damage at individual levels and has a considerable impact on the delivery of health care services (i.e., leads to poor quality of care delivered, increased absenteeism, and health workers' decision to leave the field) [23]. Therefore, dealing with workplace violence must be integrated into the functions of organizations rather than being made the responsibility of individual workers.…”

“…Violence experienced by care workers can negatively affect their physical and psychological well-being and job-related variables (i.e., job satisfaction and burnout). These negative aspects may lead to a lower quality of patient care and indicate the absence of appropriate laws and legislation dealing with safe working environments [23]. However, there is currently no research comparing the extent of physical assault experienced by personal care workers to that experienced by workers in other fields.…”

Why do nurses leave their jobs? Understanding person-related hostility in the healthcare sector of Pakistan

“…The study results also confirmed the earlier literature [ 25 ], where gender discrimination was a significant reason for creating workplace person-related hostility among nurses and building their intention to leave the organization. [ 64 ] found that nurses experience discrimination and gender-based hostility from other healthcare professionals at different ranks that adversely affect their health and retention. Lack of social and political power, weak position in an organizational hierarchy, and subordination by other professions were the main contributing factors to discrimination against nurses.…”