Second-Level Nurses' Experiences of Workplace Violence: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Management
• Workplace Safety

Background:

• Workplace violence (WPV) is a growing concern in nursing, with limited research on second-level nurses.
• Second-level nurses are vital to healthcare systems but their WPV experiences are under-explored.
• Existing literature often combines data from first- and second-level nurses, obscuring specific issues faced by the latter.

Approach:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's framework.
• Searched major databases (ABI/Inform Collection, CINAHL, DOAJ, EBSCOhost, ProQuest Central) for studies from January 2000 to March 2022.
• Included 18 studies focusing on second-level nurses' WPV experiences.

Key Points:

• Second-level nurses endure both physical and non-physical WPV, including bullying, mobbing, sexual harassment, racial discrimination, nurse-to-nurse conflict, and electronic abuse.
• They face a higher likelihood of experiencing physical violence compared to first-level nurses.
• Data aggregation often prevents a clear understanding of second-level nurses' specific WPV incidents.

Conclusions:

• This review illuminates the global WPV experiences of second-level nurses, identifying knowledge gaps.
• Further research is essential to fully grasp the scope and nature of WPV affecting second-level nurses.
• Nurse managers should utilize these findings to implement targeted policies and interventions, fostering supportive work environments and reducing WPV.