An exploration of workplace violence in the Emergency Department: are emergency nurses safe?

Abstract

This thesis arises from the experience of several years of working in the Emergency Department and being exposed to workplace violence from patients and their families. Emergency nurses in New Zealand experience workplace violence every day. Registered nurses and the institutions in which they work manage workplace violence to varying degrees and in an ad hoc manner. New Zealand has no national consistency, no national guidelines, or consensus on the management of workplace violence in the health sector. This research explores emergency nurses' encounters during their work when they have experienced workplace violence. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the experience and the consequences when nurses are confronted with episodes of violence while working in the Emergency Department. The essence of this research is gaining an understanding of how registered nurses have managed workplace violence and the impact of that violence on themselves, their colleagues, and the patients in the Emergency Department. Recommendations are made regarding nationally consistent guidelines, education on the management of workplace violence, improved security, and Emergency Department design. The discussion will conclude with suggestions for further research on workplace violence in the health sector.