Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSPhysical abuse of A&E nurses rife in US
More than half of US emergency department nurses have been physically assaulted while at work, according to a survey.
A survey of 3,465 nurses, carried out by the US Emergency Nurses Association, found more than half of emergency nurses report experiencing physical violence on the job, including as being ‘spat on’, ‘hit’, ‘pushed or shoved’, ‘scratched’, and ‘kicked’.
One in four had experienced such violence more than 20 times in the past three years, and one in five nurses had experienced verbal abuse more than 200 times during the same period.
Reports of violence were lowest among nurses in paediatric emergency departments and highest among nurses who worked night shifts and on weekends. Male emergency nurses were more likely than their female colleagues to indicate having experienced workplace violence.
Nurses highlighted the following factors as being likely to spark abuse of nursing staff – patients or visitors under the influence of alcohol or drugs; psychiatric patients being treated in emergency departments; crowding; long waiting times; and shortage of nurses.
ENA President Bill Briggs said: ‘Emergency nurses provide crucial health care services. Their departments and their hospitals depend on them being able to deliver high quality care. They can’t do that if they’re in danger of being verbally or physically abused.’
The findings are published in the latest issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration.
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