Violence in the workplace for emergency department nurses has been on the rise over the past few years and continues to be an issue of concern. The Emergency Nurses Association has been conducting research through a project called the “Emergency Department Violence Surveillance Study.” Over 7,000 ER nurses nationwide participated in the study and were surveyed at 3-month intervals. The data from 2009-20011 indicated that over 50% of the nurses reported experiencing verbal abuse and slightly over 11% reported experiencing physical violence.
According to the report, more than a third of emergency nurses have considered leaving their current jobs due to workplace violence. The highest rates of both physical and verbal abuse were reported by male nurses, emergency nurses working in urban settings, or large trauma hospitals. Emergency rooms that had reporting policies, enhanced security measures such as an enclosed nurse’s stations, locked entries, and panic buttons were associated with lower rates of violence. (Nurse.com)
Due to the nature of their work, Emergency Nurses require the ability to move quickly and process later. When a traumatic event occurs in the workplace, all those involved will experience an emotional reaction, ranging from minimal to severe.
These emotional reactions, although normal and predictable, have the potential to cause distress for the worker and significant loss for the employer if not addressed promptly and appropriately. Providing Critical Incident Education and a place for the nurses to share their feelings is important and cost effective. If dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, trauma resulting from a critical event, whether intentional, accidental or natural can be minimized and even redirected to allow the rapid return of a productive and healthy workforce. What has been your experience working with this population?
Guest Author: Jodie Loomans MS, CRC, CEAP, is a Master’s prepared rehabilitation and mental health professional with over 13 years’ experience providing: EAP clinical consultation, performance coaching, case management, critical incident response coordination, disability determinations, and high risk behavioral assessments. Jodie collaborates and coordinates case management across the R3 continuum delivering seamless high end customer service. Consults with supervisors, HR managers & employees’ about workplace & work based issues. Jodie specializes in Critical Incident Response Coordination and Trauma Case Management for corporations and established EAP contracts.
