Rising Violence in Nursing: An Age-Old Problem Now Receiving Due Attention - Essay Sample

Introduction

The rising violence in nursing has become a major problem. However, research shows that workplace violence in nursing has always been in existence and has long been underestimated now receiving due attention; it is emerging as a priority concern that is facing the nursing profession (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). The violence that nurses experience may be in the form of stabbings, intimidation, harassment, shootings, to mention but a few. Most nurses end up with psychological consequences, which include anxiety, fear, frustration, nervousness, sadness, and mistrust. Today, workplace violence is a critical issue that many nurses face at healthcare organizations. For instance, Sharma and Sharma (2016) reported that the incidence of workplace violence rate is at 9.2 per 10, 000 nurses. The paper will discuss in detail the role of nurses and clearly describe the solution to workplace violence in nursing.

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The primary role of the nurse in healthcare is caring for the patient (Legeay et al., 2019). However, nursing roles can be complex but central to offering services to patients. Nurses advocate and care for people with health illnesses and monitor patients who have signs that require management and medication. Researchers assert that nurses support healthcare systems, for example taking the role in operating medical equipment (Legeay et al., 2019). The role of the nurse in healthcare is broad in that nurses help to manage global health challenges. At the same time, they offer services to patients suffering from non-communicable diseases, natural and man-made disasters and more.

Nursing violence in healthcare is vehement acts that are directed to persons who are on duty. It can be manifested in terms of physical assault, verbal abuse, and threatening behavior that nurses face at the workplace. Sometimes, nurses experience violence related to abuse, harassment, bullying and more. These psychological traumas are what nurses go through, and at many times, the persons committing the acts are employers. Researchers surveyed to examine the prevalence of workplace violence in nursing in the US (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). The results collected showed that 45% of nurses experienced nonfatal assaults. Also, a survey from the John Hopkins School of Nursing highlighted that 30% in a total of 2,160 nurses experienced violence (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). Nurses are the major victims of violence at the healthcare organizations in that more than half of the Emergency Nurses Association have previously reported verbal and physical abuse. It is nurses that are likely to experience any type of violence than other healthcare professionals. The reason for this proposition is that nurses work alone. They work in conditions open for vulnerability because they with their employers and at the same time, they spend most of their time to offer care services to patients. They are exposed to risks of violence, for example, physical or sexual attacks. Also, nurses work in handling cash and valuables, therefore, when a crime occurs even if they are not involved, they are exposed to such crime risks. Sharma and Sharma (2016) said that in his research, 84% of nurses have been assaulted while offering services to patients and these acts of violence go unreported.

Workplace violence in nursing is always a major problem and therefore, it is not easy to propose a solution that can guarantee nurses since they are employees. However, given the fact that nurses offer primary care services to patients, employers should learn how to recognize them and prevent them from all acts of violence (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). They can start this by empowering nurses; offering a platform for nurses to attend personal safety and training programs to understand the need of staying safe from any acts of violence while at the workplace. The other solution to nursing violence in healthcare is advising nurses to pay attention to their physical surroundings. For example, nurses are likely to work with valuables particularly drugs and handling of cash. According to research, drugs and money are sensitive and easily within reach while at the healthcare facility (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). There is a risk of crime when it comes to handling cash and drugs, therefore, nurses should pay much attention when working in such environments. Nurses should also maintain periodic contact with others; they use the buddy system (Sharma & Sharma, 2016). Many acts of violence such as physical and verbal abuse occur when nurses are working alone. To avoid such kind of violence, nurses should work while observing a buddy system procedure to avoid being attached when working lonely. Moreover, for a nurse to avoid violence from the patient, he/she should not work in isolated environments when offering treatment or examination to the client.

Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) is also significant in alleviating workplace violence in nursing (Lyle-Edrosolo & Waxman, 2016). A nurse should adhere to a patient-centered care approach, which requires listening, informing, and involving a patient during care; this is a respectful and responsive way, which can help reduce the rate of violence that nurses experience. The other approach is teamwork and collaboration (Lyle-Edrosolo & Waxman, 2016). A nurse is supposed to obey the buddy system rule by working in groups and not alone. Working in a group will help achieve goals of alleviating workplace violence. Also, quality improvement evidence-based practice, safety, and many more are among the approaches that nurses should apply to avoid violence.

According to Nightingale's theory, nursing is an adjustment of the healthcare environment to provide care for the patient (Sher & Akhtar, 2018). The care is only focused on conforming during the illness period. The theorist says that "I use nursing for the want of better". She has been concerned about the condition and safety of patients while they are receiving services at healthcare facilities. There is a case where she said that she once asked a staff nurse why her patient was dirty. She advised the nurse that she should ensure that the patient is clean to avoid contamination with germs and to aid recovery. Looking at the case scenarios of Florence's theory, there are many things that nurses can do to reduce or rather avoid the violence they face while at the workplace (Sher & Akhtar, 2018). Nurses should modify the environment and make the patient feel better.

Given that nurses face violence and abuse while they provide care, they should be responsible and ensure that there is a comfort to the sick and the injured patients. There is a strong relationship between a patient and the surrounding environment as well as health and nurse. Nurses should, therefore, trust their instincts and prepare for their daily work plans to offer quality services to the patients. Florence emphasizes patient-centered care in that he advises nurses that the best way to avoid any type of violence at the workplace is to provide care services in a respectful, responsive, and according to the needs and preferences of the patient (Sher & Akhtar, 2018). Nurses should ensure that patient values are guiding clinical decisions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, workplace violence threatens the delivery of services at the healthcare facilities not only in the US but elsewhere. As nurses struggle to provide their primary care services, they undergo through violent acts, which interrupts their rights, integrity, and even personal integrity. Current literature proposes that to ensure that there is the safety of nurses at the workplace, protective measures such as zero tolerance to violence should be implemented and at the same time nurses be trained on how to avoid such acts of violence.

References

Legeay, C., Hue, R., Berton, C., Cormier, H., Chenouard, R., Corvec, S., & Birgand, G. (2019). Control strategy for carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in nursing homes: perspectives inspired by three outbreaks. Journal of Hospital Infection, 101(2), 183-187. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gabriel_Birgand/publication/328619167_Control_strategy_for_carbapenemase-producing_Enterobacteriaceae_in_nursing_homes_Perspectives_inspired_from_three_outbreaks/links/5be2ae5b92851c6b27ac9e03/Control-strategy-for-carbapenemase-producing-Enterobacteriaceae-in-nursing-homes-Perspectives-inspired-from-three-outbreaks.pdf

Lyle-Edrosolo, G., & Waxman, K. T. (2016). Aligning healthcare safety and quality competencies: quality and safety education for nurses (QSEN), The Joint Commission, and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) magnet standards crosswalk. Nurse Leader, 14(1), 70-75. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1541461215002293

Sharma, R. K., & Sharma, V. (2016). Workplace violence in nursing. J Nurs Care, 5(335), 2167-1168. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rajesh_Sharma77/publication/302067281_Work_Place_Violence_in_Nursing/links/5c741cd4299bf1268d259790/Work-Place-Violence-in-Nursing.pdf

Sher, A. N. A., & Akhtar, A. (2018). Clinical Application of Nightingale's Theory. J Clin Res Bioeth, 9(329), 2. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cfd6/d1308d26e54f9f8fda20fb4cfcc9a8500780.pdf