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Nurses' reactions to physical assault by their patients
Summary
Female nurses experiencing more patient assaults reported increased emotional, biophysiological, and social distress. They adapted coping strategies by modifying behaviors, attributing assaults to patient factors rather than self-blame.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- Workplace violence in healthcare settings is a significant concern.
- Nurses are at high risk of patient-initiated assaults.
- Previous research often indicated self-blame among nurses experiencing assaults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the emotional, biophysiological, and social reactions of nurses following patient assaults.
- To identify the causes of assaults, coping strategies, and reporting barriers.
- To explore the relationship between the frequency of assaults and the intensity of reactions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Assault Response Questionnaire (Lanza, 1988a).
- Surveyed 35 female non-psychiatric nurses who had experienced patient assaults.
- Collected data on assault experiences, causes, coping mechanisms, and reporting barriers.
Main Results:
- A positive correlation was found between the number of assaults reported and the intensity of emotional, biophysiological, and social reactions.
- Nurses primarily coped by altering their behaviors.
- Patient-related variables were most frequently identified as causes of assault, contrasting with prior self-blame findings.
Conclusions:
- Increased assault frequency exacerbates nurses' distress.
- Behavioral adaptation is a key coping strategy for nurses facing patient violence.
- Shifting the attribution of assault causes from self-blame to patient factors is crucial for understanding and addressing this issue.