The Article: Gates, D., Gillespie, G., & Succop, P. (2011). Violence against nurses and its impact on stress and productivity. Nursing Economic$, 29(2): 59-66.

Big Idea: Emergency room nurses routinely face workplace violence from patients and their visitors. This cross-sectional study examined 230 Emergency Nurses Association members, determining the impact workplace violence had on their stress and productivity.

Survey Says!: Study authors found a direct relationship between nurses experiencing workplace violence and negative stress and decreased productivity. A stunning 94% of survey nurses had at least one post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom following a violent event. 17% of participants had symptoms qualifying them as probable for PTSD.

Quotable: “And while the homicide rate against health care workers is lower than other establishments, the assault rate remains the highest (Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2007)” (p. 59).

“Laposa and Alden (2003) studied ED workers and found 12% met full criteria for PTSD, 20% met the symptoms criteria for the disorder, and the proportion of workers with PTSD was significantly higher than the general population” (p. 60).

“Health care providers admit that after violent experiences they tend to avoid patients who have been or might be violent [references]” (p. 63).

“Implementation of a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) can prevent the more serious, long-term complications associated with exposure to traumatic events [references]” (p. 64).

“Nurses admit that unless they are physically injured, they are often expected to return immediately to their work after being physically assaulted by a patient or visitor [references]” (p. 64).

So What?: This study was quite intriguing, and I learned about several new measurement tools I had never heard of before. Interestingly, the ER has a “tough” culture; ER nurses are expected to deal with “craziness” and continue on with patient care unphased from the events. They are supposed to be tough. This thinking is flawed. Violence is violence, and ER nurses shouldn’t have to deal with it. Administrators can take a strong stand against workplace violence to protect the organization’s human resources. When nurses do experience workplace violence, leaders should advocate on their behalf for proper counseling and care, leading to increased productivity and better patient care outcomes.