Nursing Staff Characteristics Related to Patient Assault

Abstract

There is an underlying belief that there is something special about the victims of patient assault, that they possess certain characteristics or behave in a different way from those staff who are not assaulted. Is this a case of blaming the victims, or are there some actual differences between those staff members who are assaulted and those who are not? This study undertook this question. Its specific purpose was to (1) characterize staff victims and compare them to nonassaulted staff and (2) document outcomes on staff who were assaulted. The design included a prospective and retrospective phase. Nursing staff on two acute and four long-term psychiatric units were asked sociodemographic and job-related information at the beginning of the study. The frequency with which each staff member was assaulted was recorded. At the end of 1 year, staff who had been assaulted were compared with staff who had not been assaulted. Any staff members who were assaulated were interviewed to assess the physical and emotional effect of the assault on the victim. Findings indicated no difference between assaulted versus nonassaulted staff on sociodemographic factors, with the exception of marital status. Assessment of job-related factors suggested differences on position in the administrative hierarchy, type of activities involved in direct patient care such as medication administration, and education about handling the aggressive patient. Victim outcomes supported the existing literature. The most frequent site of injury was the head. Staff either did not take leave time or returned to work before they recovered, and many reported emotional stress.

Multiple Risk Factors for Violence to Seven Occupational Groups in the Swedish Caring Sector

“…This is a result generally in line with the findings of other studies (Whittington and Wykes 1994;Arnetz, Arnetz and Petterson 1996;Whittington, Shuttleworth and Hill 1996;Kiely and Pankhurst 1998;Nolan et al 1999;Lee et al 1999;Fazzone et al 2000;Riopelle et al 2000;Soares, Lawoko and Nolan 2000;Duncan et al 2001). However, Lanza et al (1991) did not find any significant age difference between assaulted and nonassaulted nurses.…”

“…Accordingly, risk in general cannot be regarded as higher for women. The same observation-that gender has no significance for being a target of violence or threat-has been recorded in other studies (Lanza et al 1991;Whittington and Wykes 1994;Wynn and Bratlid 1998). However, some investigations suggest that male nurses more often tend to be victims of violence than females (Arnetz, Arnetz and Petterson 1996;Knudsen 1999;Love and Hunter 1996;Arnetz and Arnetz 2000), and that women are more often exposed than men (Kiely and Pankhurst 1998).…”

“…Results from other investigations in the health-care sector (in emergency departments, and geriatric, psychiatric and home health-care sites) suggest that it is direct patient care providers who are the most exposed (Lanza et al 1991;Arnetz, Arnetz and Petterson 1996;Whittington, Shuttleworth and Hill 1996;Arnetz, Arnetz and Söderman 1998;Nolan et al 1999Nolan et al , 2001Arnetz and Arnetz 2000;Soares, Lawoko and Nolan 2000). In one survey, Arnetz, Arnetz and Söderman (1998) found that the risk of experiencing violence at some time during the career course was greatest for practical (assistant) nurses.…”

Les agressions en milieu psychiatrique. Vécu et perceptions des intervenants du Pavillon Roland-Saucier du Complexe hospitalier de la Sagamie

“…Il conclut, à l'instar de plusieurs autres (Baxter et al, 1992;Carton et Larkin, 1991;Turns et Blumenreich, 1993), qu'à cause de son engagement plus important et plus direct dans les soins, le personnel infirmier est la catégorie d'intervenants la plus exposée aux agressions. Par contre, les résultats d'une étude réalisée par Lanza et al (1991) n'appuient pas cette affirmation voulant que le personnel infirmier soit plus exposé que d'autres intervenants. Turns et Blumenreich (1993) abondent dans le même sens en affirmant que les résidents en psychiatrie, les psychiatres et les travailleurs sociaux ne sont pas non plus à l'abri des agressions et, qu'en général ni le sexe, ni l'âge, ni la race, ni même la durée de l'expérience en psychiatrie ne sont des facteurs discriminants.…”

The Nature of Violence: Origins and Prevention of Healthcare Violence

“…Increased episodes of inpatient violence correlate with caregiver ineffective therapeutic communication skills, detached, aloof or a superior manner. The caregiver inability to listen and lack of training in aggression management increase violence risk [23]. Caregivers that are less available to patients both physically and emotionally such as those not being available to listen are more apt to encounter violence.…”