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The assaulted nurse: short-term and long-term responses
Archives of Psychiatric Nursing
|December 1, 1989
Summary
Nursing staff physically assaulted by patients experience emotional and biophysiological reactions. While most responses decreased over time, some staff required ongoing support, highlighting the need for coping programs.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Nursing
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Physical assaults on nursing staff by patients are a significant workplace stressor.
- Understanding the short- and long-term reactions is crucial for staff well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify attitudinal changes in nursing staff after physical assault.
- To describe the emotional, cognitive, social, and biophysiological reactions to patient-inflicted assaults.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 61 nursing staff members at a neuropsychiatric institute.
- Weekly self-report questionnaires and interviews at weeks 1 and 6.
- Follow-up questionnaires at 6 months and 1 year post-assault.
Main Results:
- 67% of staff showed initial responses; 18% experienced moderate to severe reactions at 6 weeks.
- Long-term follow-up indicated persistent reactions in 16-21% of staff up to 1 year.
- No significant attitudinal changes were observed; moderate responses were more frequent than intense ones.
Conclusions:
- Nursing staff exhibit varied short- and long-term reactions to physical assaults.
- A decrease in response frequency was noted, but a significant minority required ongoing support.
- Formalized clinical, educational, and administrative programs are necessary to help staff cope with assault-related stress.