Impact of Violence Aganist Nurses in Health Care Environments and Legal Implications

Background: On February 11, 2009 shots rang out in the School of Nursing at the University of Arizona. As the smoke from the triggerman's gun cleared, three professors lay dead. All three of these victims were murdered at the hands of one of their students, Robert Flores,  a Gulf War veteran. Anyone can become the victim of of a workplace assault, but risks are greater in certain occupations such as nursing---nursing educators and students are not immune. The investigation of violence toward health care workers, especially nurses, continues to be relatively new and remains underreported. In 2009, there were a reported 2,050 nonfatal assaults and violent acts against nurses. Experts report that the risk of verbal and physical violence continues to increase across diverse types of healthcare settings.

Purpose: This research added to the data related to violence against nurses and decribes the incidence, short and long-term effects, and legal implications of violence against nurses by patients.

Methods: The sample included 108 randomly selected nurses living in Kentcky, Indiana, and Ohio who were members of the International Association of Forensic Nurses. Participants completed a comprehensive Assault Survey & Assessment Tool developed by the SHARP team of the Department of Labor and Industries in Washington State and Dr. Marilyn Lanza in the Department of Nursing Service for Research at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Results: Of the total number of nurses who compleed the survey, 88 (81%) reported patient violence; the majority of these nurses experienced some type of physical violence while a signficant number reported emotional or psychological symptoms.

Implications: At a time when there is a shortage of nurses and a number of nurses leaving the profession, increased support and awareness of victimization is paramount. If nurses are being educated for healthcare workplaces, how much information is included in the curriculums of nursing programs regarding violence and victimization?