Nurses' Perceptions and Expectations of Patient Violence: Language Matters.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Patient violence poses a significant occupational risk to nurses.
• Professional discourse often downplays nurses' exposure to patient violence.
• A gap exists between nurses' lived experiences and the prevailing narrative on patient violence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate nurses' perceptions regarding the possibility of eliminating patient violence.
• To understand nurses' expectations of exposure to patient violence.
• To explore nurses' views on the desired state of patient violence exposure in their work environment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional, descriptive study design.
• Electronic survey administered to nearly 500 nurses.
• Data collected from seven acute care hospitals in the western United States.

Main Results:

• 85% of nurses believe patient violence cannot be prevented in acute care settings.
• 81% of nurses expect to be exposed to patient violence during their shifts.
• 68% of nurses believe they should expect patient violence, viewing it as a mechanism for prevention and response.

Conclusions:

• Expecting patient violence is distinct from accepting it, a nuance often missed in workplace violence initiatives.
• Complete elimination of patient violence is unrealistic due to inherent risk factors.
• The professional narrative surrounding patient violence requires re-evaluation to align with nurses' experiences and expectations.