Workplace Violence in Nursing

By TodaysNurse

Nurses often fall victim to a whole host of different types of workplace violence, ranging from physical assault, to verbal threats, verbal harassment, sexual assault, sexual harassment, etc. The most common types of workplace violence within a hospital setting include worker-on-worker incidents, or patient-on-worker incidents.

One frequent kind of violence that is classified as patient-on-worker is ‘the confused patient’. Confused patients with brain tumors, substance abuse addictions, concussions, dementia, or some other cause of confusion sometimes wake up and immediately become scared of their surroundings, and begin ripping tubes and wires off of themselves. This type of patient is often harmless, but sometimes can cause significant damage. It is important to be overly cautious when dealing with a confused patient, because your safety is equally as important as the patient’s. Proceed with caution, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and make smart, safe decisions.

Another kind of workplace violence that is seen frequently in the field of nursing is bullying. Bully nurses can have a profound impact on another nurse’s mental health and ability to care for patients. Bully nurses often target younger nurses who aren’t established yet, due to a perceived threat. The American Nurses Association defines bullying as, “repeated, unwanted, harmful actions intended to humiliate offend and cause distress in the recipient”. Although it sounds unimportant, bully nurses can immensely decrease the level of patient care by antagonizing other nurses. If a bully nurse is in a general area, it could lead to the bullied nurse avoiding that area, neglecting a task or not properly caring for a patient. Even though it may sound outlandish, it’s likely that you know somebody who has experienced this, or you, yourself may have suffered from a bully nurse.

Unfortunately, another common type of workplace violence is sexual harassment. This can occur either between nurses or from patient to nurse.  Sexual harassment is often an issue between co-workers, whenever one person involved has assumed a position of power. This can mean that it’s a charge nurse lording power over a regular nurse, or a doctor over a nurse. If you find yourself in a situation like this, look up your hospital’s website and policies, as they likely will have a hotline or some other way to contact and report this event. If no such number exists, call human resources and report the event immediately. Never feel like you are obligated to owe something to somebody; you are a hardworking nurse with an RN and maybe a BSN as well. You’ve earned everything that you’ve gotten. Do not suffer through sexual harassment; report it.

Sexual harassment from a patient can be a little more complicated. Often, female nurses fall victim to patients inappropriately grabbing them, staring at them, and making unsuitable comments. It is important to judge the severity and the context of the situation before moving forward and taking the next step. It may be a lonely man just looking for any attention, even negative attention. It may be confused patient who doesn’t understand his current situation or where he is. No matter what, it is imperative that you confront the patient, tell them that their behavior is inappropriate and that they cannot behave like that. After taking this step, you can then consider the weight of the situation. If you feel like the patient was fully conscious and aware of their actions, it would be a good idea to tell a superior and report the incident. Again, your mental health as a nurse is important to patient health outcomes, and if you are feeling unsafe or violated, that translates to poor health outcomes for you and your other patients. However, if you deem the incident to be a misunderstanding, or a genuine accident, you’d be best suited to let it go.

Violence in the workplace can take any and all forms. To best be prepared to deal with these events, know your employee rights, handbook, and hotlines. Many hospitals are prepared with the necessary procedures, should you fall victim to any type of violence in the workplace. Know that you are not a tattletale. Report any incident that makes you feel uncomfortable, because that affects you, which in turn affects your patients.

8 comments on Workplace Violence in Nursing

  1. Dexter Tamara says:

    My mom was suffering from Type 2 diabetes and Lupus for over 17yrs. She tried many drugs but at last became dependent on saferoom and metformin due to the weakness and constant pains, She found that life was just sinking & there was no way of hope. Then she consulted Chief Dr Lucky for herbal treatments, Which she had been hearing so much about, After some couple of days taking this herbal medicine, Things started to change, The symptoms started to decrease and after 19 days of taking it, She became healthy and fully free from all the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes and Lupus. My mom’s life is totally different now. That’s why I decided to let everybody know about the wonderful healing of Chief Dr Lucky herbal, If you are having any health challenges kindly visit email chiefdrlucky@gmail.com or WhatsApp +2348132777335
    Website chiefdrlucky.com.

  2. I ordered a job spell on a Friday night and on Monday the place I applied for a job called for me to come by their office. They gave me the job I applied for and made me an offer of more per hour than I have ever made in my life! I am so happy! Government jobs sometimes are a slow process. You somehow managed to speed up that process, and I start in just a few days! DR EMU I will be forever grateful thanks once again. You can call on him for help on his email address emutemple@gmail.com or add him up on his WhatsApp +2347012841542. DR EMU also lent a helping hand to the following } 1. GETTING YOUR EX LOVER BACK. 2. WINNING LOTTERIES. 3. CHILD BEARING. 4. BREAKING OF GENERATION COURSE. 5. GETTING OF JOB. 6. JOB PROMOTION. 7. HERBAL CARE. 8. SPIRITUAL PROTECTION. 9. HERBAL CARE. 10. SPIRITUAL PRAYER. E.T.C.

  3. ashley walters says:

    My name is ashley walters !!! i am very grateful sharing this great testimonies with you all, The best thing that has ever happened in my life,  is how i won the Powerball lottery. I do believe that someday i will win the Powerball lottery. Finally my dreams came through when i contacted Dr. OSE and tell him i needed the lottery winning special numbers cause i have come a long way spending money on ticket just to make sure i win. But i never knew that winning was so easy with the help of Dr. OSE, until the day i meant the spell caster testimony online, which a lot of people has talked about that he is very powerful and has great powers in casting lottery spell, so i decided to give it a try. I emailed Dr. OSE and he did a spell and gave me the winning lottery special numbers 62, and co-incidentally I have be playing this same number for the past 23years without any winning, But believe me when I play the special number 62 this time and the draws were out i was the mega winner because the special 62 matched all five white-ball numbers as well as the Powerball, in the April 4 drawing to win the $70 million jackpot prize…… Dr. OSE, truly you are the best, with Dr. OSE you can will millions of money through lottery. i am a living testimony and so very happy i meant him, and i will forever be grateful to him…… you can Email him for your own winning special lottery numbers now oseremenspelltemple@gmail.com OR WHATSAPP him +2348136482342
    http://www.facebook.com/Dr-odion-spell-temple-110513923938220

  4. Stefan Ward says:

    Only a tiny percentage of professional hackers have the specialized hacking abilities and knowledge needed to recover lost BTC, Facebook hacking and Catching a cheating partner via a Whatsapp link. Finding a reliable hacker like HACKERWEREWOLF is preferable.
    A first class hacking hacking team that can aid in the recovery of your misplaced cryptocurrency, lost Facebook account and hacking your partner Whatsapp to know if they are cheating on you.
    A hacking organization that can aid in the recovery of your misplaced cryptocurrency, lost Facebook account and to help you gain access to your cheating partner Whatsapp. For a long time, I was very confused and i always felt awful about my partner’s cheating attitude. I really wanted to track and catch him red-handed. I spoke with a trusted colleague of mine at work and she gave me a genuine recommendation about an ethical private investigator named HACKERWEREWOLF.
    HACKERWEREWOLF and their extraordinary team emerged as the catalysts of change. Their exceptional knowledge and relentless determination Helped me to see all the lies that my partner have been saying. If you find yourself lost in the depths of lost Bitcoin, facebook and Whatsapp hacking, let HACKERWEREWOLF’s team guide you towards the light of redemption.
    Facebook page:Hackerwerewolf
    Email:hackerwerewolf637@gmail.com
    Whatsapp:+4917617861530

  5. Werner Ehrhardt says:

    Only a tiny percentage of professional hackers have the specialized hacking abilities and knowledge needed to recover lost BTC, Facebook hacking and Catching a cheating partner via a Whatsapp link. Finding a reliable hacker like HACKERWEREWOLF is preferable.
    A first class hacking hacking team that can aid in the recovery of your misplaced cryptocurrency, lost Facebook account and hack your partner Whatsapp. A hacking organization that can aid in the recovery of your misplaced cryptocurrency, lost Facebook account and to help you gain access to your cheating partner Whatsapp. I lost $298k in BTC to bitcoin mining, and HACKERWEREWOLF was able to retrieve it. In my darkest hour, when my Bitcoin was lost and hope seemed but a distant memory, HACKERWEREWOLF and their extraordinary team emerged as the catalysts of change.
    Their exceptional knowledge and relentless determination propelled me towards recovery, restoring my faith in the crypto world, Facebook/Whatsapp hacking.
    If you find yourself lost in the depths of lost Bitcoin, facebook and Whatsapp hacking, let HACKERWEREWOLF’s team guide you towards the light of redemption.
    Facebook page:Hackerwerewolf
    Email:hackerwerewolf637@gmail.com
    Whatsapp:+4917617861530

  6. Terry says:

    After having to endure much just to recover my lost BTC despite numerous individuals telling me it was hopeless, today I’m submitting this assessment in an effort to help everyone out there. You’re not the only one who has lost Bitcoin due to investing with the wrong binary options, trading platforms, account hacks, or other frauds involving Bitcoin. Being a scam victim myself, I suffered a loss of $83,000. I attempted a number of methods to get my money back, all in vain, until I came across Asset Hacker Recovery, agroup of investigator and a recovery expert firm. As a result of being able to explain my issues to Asset Hacker Recovery, everything I lost to these fictitious investors was recovered in a matter of days. Send a message to them below and get the assistance you require.
    email; Assetcryptohacker@proton.me
    Telegram@Assetcryptohacker
    Whatsapp: (+393510777769)

  7. Dono says:

    God bless DR. Sambola for his marvelous work in my life, I was diagnosed of HERPES VIRUS since 2015 and I was taking my medications, I wasn’t satisfied i needed to get the HERPES out of my system, I searched about some possible cure for HERPES i saw a comment about DR.Sambola how he cured HERPES with his herbal medicine, I contacted him and he guided me. I asked for solutions, he started the remedy for my health, he sent me the medicine through UPS SPEED POST. I took the medicine as instructed, in 2 weeks i was totally cured. if you need herbal cure contact dr.akhigbe on his WhatsAPP number: +2347011451611 because he has a solution to all your problems. Email sambolaherbal@gmail.com

  8. Randy says:

    Its a miracle that I am alive today. I encounter HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV1/2) for good four (4) years, six (6) months and twelve (12) day with my calculations, before I meet the great Dr Sambola. I am Randy empiral from Fresno California, united state of America and I was affected with herpes virus.Herpes is a viral infection cause by the Herpes simplex virus, marked by painful, watery blister in the skin or mucous membrane or on the genitals. This was what I suffered for good four years. I have visited CVS Pharmacy in Fresno for treatment but no improvement. I meet Dr Sambola online while I was searching for herpes cure I read a testimony about his work. I give a try that now becomes a testimony in my life. I contacted him through WhatsApp +2347011451611 email sambolaherbal@gmail.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

*

code

*

Workplace Violence in Nursing

Nurses often fall victim to a whole host of different types of workplace violence, ranging from physical assault, to verbal threats, verbal harassment, sexual assault, sexual harassment. Read more about workplace violence here.

Scroll to top 331