Critical Care Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Patients With Intoxication and the Risk of Workplace Violence: A...

Critical care nurses who work in intensive or intermediate care units could be exposed to violence and threats in their workplace from patients admitted with intoxication. Despite extensive research on intoxication, research on critical care nurses' experiences with violence and threats from these patients is limited.

This study explored critical care nurses' experiences with workplace violence when caring for patients with intoxication in an intensive or intermediate care unit setting.

This study employed an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design. The COREQ checklist guided the study's reporting.

Twelve critical care nurses at four intensive and/or intermediate care units in Norway were interviewed. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Four themes were created in the data analysis: being one step ahead when facing unpredictability, tailoring care to the patient's needs to prevent workplace violence, feeling drained when insufficient nursing care is provided, and wanting more competence and support.

Workplace violence poses a significant challenge to critical care nurses. To mitigate risks and improve patient safety, it is crucial to equip critical care nurses with the necessary knowledge and skills to foster predictability and support the implementation of structured plans.

The findings underscore the need to integrate education about drugs, psychiatric diagnoses, and strategies for managing workplace violence into the curriculum for critical care nursing students and in clinical settings. Ward managers should promote education on workplace violence and organise debriefing sessions following incidents of workplace violence.

This study had no patient or public contributions.