Study pinpoints issues that leave ED nurses

vulnerable

Nurse.com News
Sunday February 9, 2014


A qualitative study on assaults on emergency
nurses, sponsored by the Emergency Nurses
Association, found a need to change the culture of
acceptance that is prevalent among hospital
administrators and law enforcement.

Better training to help nurses recognize signs
of potential trouble also is key, according to
researchers, whose study was published Jan. 17 on the website of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.

Assaults on emergency nurses have lasting impacts on the nurses and the ability of emergency
care facilities to provide quality care, 2014 ENA President Deena Brecher, RN, MSN, APN, ACNS-BC, CEN,
CPEN, said in a news release.

More than 70% of emergency nurses reported physical or verbal assaults by patients or visitors
while they were providing care. As a result, we lose experienced and dedicated nurses to physical or
psychological trauma for days or sometimes permanently. Healthcare organizations have a responsibility
to nurses and the public to provide a safe and secure environment.

According to Bureau of Labor statistics, an assault on a healthcare worker is the most common
source of nonfatal injury or illness requiring days off from work in the healthcare and social assistance
industry.

Despite that statistic, the qualitative research study discovered a culture of acceptance among
hospital administrators, prosecutors and judges. One emergency nurse assault victim told the researchers
the administration will only take action when some lethal event happens.

Perhaps in correlation with the culture of acceptance, the study also concluded that emergency
nurses and hospital personnel in general are not trained to recognize cues for violent behavior.

It is imperative that hospitals and emergency care workers address the issue preemptively
through adoption of violence prevention education, zero-tolerance policies, safety measures and
procedures for reporting and responding to incidents of workplace violence when they do occur, the
researchers noted. Such actions are necessary to help nurses recognize incipient violence.

The ENA long has taken the position that healthcare organizations must take preventive
measures to circumvent workplace violence and ensure the safety of all healthcare workers, their patients
and visitors.

There will always be the potential for violence against emergency nurses, Brecher said. But we
must not accept it as the price of helping the sick and injured. With training and a change of culture, we
can significantly decrease the occurrence of assaults against
emergency nurses.

The study was conducted using a qualitative
descriptive exploratory design. In the fall of 2012, a sample of
ED nurses was recruited by email from the roster of ENA
nurses and through an announcement on the ENA website.
Eight men, 37 women and one person of unknown gender
responded to the question, Tell me about your experience of
violence in the emergency setting. Answers were emailed to
and analyzed by the Institute for Emergency Nursing
Research.

Only one other previous qualitative study is known
to have been conducted to address workplace violence
against emergency nurses in the United States since at least
2004, according to the news release.