The Relationship Between Shiftwork and Violence Against Nurses: A Case Control Study

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Nursing Safety
• Workplace Violence Research

Background:

• Nurses globally face a high risk of workplace violence, specifically physical assault (PA).
• Shiftwork is a common practice in nursing, but its association with PA risk is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between various shiftwork schedules and the occurrence of work-related physical assault (PA) among nurses.
• To identify specific shift types that may increase PA risk for nursing professionals.

Main Methods:

• A nested case-control study design was employed using survey data from 6,300 nurses in Minnesota.
• Cases were nurses who experienced PA in the prior 12 months; controls were randomly selected nurses without PA during the same period.
• Exposures, including shiftwork patterns, were compared between cases and controls for the month preceding the event.

Main Results:

• Multivariable analyses indicated significantly increased odds of PA for nurses working evening shifts (OR = 1.55), night shifts (OR = 3.54), and rotating day/evening shifts (OR = 2.88).
• Most nurses in both case and control groups worked 8-hour shifts, but shift timing was a critical factor.
• Night shift work presented the highest risk for physical assault.

Conclusions:

• Shiftwork, particularly night and rotating shifts, is a significant risk factor for work-related physical assault against nurses.
• Findings provide a basis for developing targeted interventions to mitigate PA risk and enhance safety for nurses working non-day shifts.
• Interventions should consider the impact of shift timing on nurse safety and well-being.