A Prescriptive Model for Protecting Nurses' Dignity and Safety: Understanding Coping Processes in the Face of...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Workplace Safety
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Workplace violence against nurses undermines dignity and safety.
• Existing prevention initiatives are insufficient.
• Nurses' coping mechanisms require systematic exploration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a prescriptive model for protecting nurses' dignity and safety.
• To explore nurses' coping processes in response to workplace violence.
• To develop a conceptually grounded prescriptive framework based on empirical findings.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, two-phase design utilizing grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin) and conceptual synthesis (Walker and Avant).
• Semi-structured interviews conducted with 39 nurses from June 2019 to December 2021.
• Consideration of contextual influences, including the COVID-19 pandemic, during data interpretation.

Main Results:

• Nurses employ adaptive, protective, and meaning-oriented coping strategies in response to perceived threats.
• Coping is influenced by facilitators (supportive colleagues/institutions) and barriers (managerial neglect/structural deficiencies).
• Adaptive coping leads to positive outcomes (emotional recovery, confidence), while maladaptive coping results in negative outcomes (burnout, anxiety).

Conclusions:

• A prescriptive model with three components (Context Familiarisation, Professional and Organisational Support, Continuous Evaluation and Reinforcement) is proposed.
• The model outlines organizational responsibilities to enhance nurses' resilience and preserve dignity and safety.
• Further empirical validation is needed to test the model's generalizability and practical utility across diverse settings.