This past summer, a pregnant emergency nurse was severely beaten by a mentally ill
patient while she was providing care for another patient. She was knocked unconscious
and required hospitalization. Another nurse was exposed to pepper spray that was in
a patient's purse and required treatment. These examples bring attention once again
to the issue of workplace violence and the need for emergency departments to develop
methods to prevent injuries to staff and patients. These particular incidents were
reported on the Internet, but many incidents continue to go unreported.
The primary risk factor for violent or threatening behavior from an individual is a past history of violence.
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References
McPhaul KM, Lipscomb JA. Workplace violence in health care: recognized but not regulated [Online Journal of Issues in Nursing 2004, 9; retrieved 2006 July 30]. Available from: URL: http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic25/tpc_6htm
- Violence toward health care workers in emergency departments in West Turkey.J Emerg Med. 2006; 28: 361-365
- Terminology, stereotypes and aggressive dynamics in the accident and emergency department.Accid Emerg Nurs. 2005; 13: 238-246
- The extent, nature and participating factors of nurse assault among three groups of registered nurses in a regional medical center.J Emerg Nurs. 2002; 28: 11-17
- Aggression and violence-a problem in Irish Accident and Emergency Departments.J Nurs Manage. 2006; 14: 106-115
- A descriptive study of the perceptions of workplace violence and safety strategies of nurse working in level 1 trauma centers.J Emerg Nurs. 2005; 31: 519-525
Scott CL, Resnick PJ. Violence risk assessment in persons with mental illness [online; Aggression and Violent Behavior 2006; retrieved 2006 July 30]. Available from: URL: www.sciencedirect.com
Biography
Reneé Semonin Holleran is Nurse Manager, Adult Transport Services, Intermountain Life Flight, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 18, 2006
Footnotes
Section Editor: Tomi St. Mars, RN, BSN, CEN
Submissons to this column are welcomed and encouraged. Submissions may be sent to:
Tomi St. Mars, RN, BSN, CEN
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
