Violence to nurses: prevalence and risk factors

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Criminology

Background:

• Violence against healthcare professionals is a pervasive problem.
• Nurses are particularly vulnerable to patient and family aggression.
• Understanding the scope of this issue is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review existing literature on violence directed at nurses.
• To analyze the extent and patterns of this violence within the nursing profession.
• To identify variations in violence prevalence across different nursing specialties.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on nurse-patient violence.
• Synthesis of data on the incidence and types of aggression.
• Comparative analysis of violence rates across nursing specializations.

Main Results:

• Violence towards nurses by patients and relatives is widespread.
• Prevalence rates vary significantly depending on the nursing specialty.
• Certain specialties report higher incidences of physical and verbal aggression.

Conclusions:

• Violence against nurses is a critical occupational hazard.
• Further research is needed to understand specialty-specific risk factors.
• Targeted strategies are required to mitigate violence in high-risk nursing areas.