Development of a Nursing Workplace Violence Experience Scale

To develop and assess the psychometric properties of a nursing workplace violence experience (WPV-E) scale on burnout, engagement, intent to leave, job satisfaction, and work pressure.

Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant and increasing threat to nurses. These incidents have a substantial negative impact on nurses' well-being and patient care. There is a need for a concise and reliable instrument to more comprehensively assess WPV-E in nurses.

Researchers used a 4-phase approach, including item generation, interrater reliability testing, data reduction, and criterion-related validity to create and validate an 8-item WPV-E scale.

A US-based survey of 618 nurses showed the WPV-E scale (α=0.86) was positively correlated with emotional exhaustion (r=0.39, p<0.01), depersonalization (r=0.29, p<0.01), intent to leave (r=0.37, p<0.01), and work pressure. It was negatively associated with personal accomplishment (r=-0.29, p<0.01), work engagement (r=-0.32, p<0.01), and job satisfaction (r=-0.40, p<0.01). Therefore, the association between the WPV-E with burnout, work engagement, and job satisfaction was significant and consistent with expected directions found in previous research examining WPV.

This new scale is a valid and reliable tool for measuring WPV-E among nurses. This scale is easy to use and can help leaders prioritize resources to create a safer work environment.