A qualitative study from the Emergency Nurses Association shows that culture change and training are needed to help prevent violence against nurses.
The study involved 46 emergency department nurses who wrote about their experiences with violence in the workplace. The respondents described a culture in which hospital administrators, prosecutors and judges accepted violence against nurses as part of the job and took action when lives were in danger.
Nurses claimed they need more training to recognize early signs that a patient or visitor might become violent.
Researchers also called for hospitals to implement a zero-tolerance policy for dealing with violence.
Learn more about this study.