The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69644

Margaret A. McEntee, PhD, RN, Adult Health Nursing, School of Nursing, University of MAryland, Baltimore, 655 West Lombard Street Room 365C, Baltimore, MD 21045 and Shannon Gwin Mitchell, PhD, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, The Light House, 1629 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21231, 410-502-5368, sgwinmitchell@hotmail.com.

Nurses are frequently exposed to workplace violence, defined as physical or verbal assaults or threats while at work or on duty. Mental health sequelae may include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), manifested in a cluster of psychological and behavioral symptoms, including intrusive thoughts, avoidance, hyperarousal and impairment in areas of functioning. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence and consequences of workplace violence on nurses.

Fifty-four experienced nurses completed a multi-component mailed questionnaire to elicit exposure to workplace violence and responses to the Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R). The subjects were primarily white females, hospital-based (60%), with at least 3 years experience in their current roles. Forty-four percent of the sample reported experiencing verbal or physical threats or intimation at work within the previous 12 months. Those nurses who had been assaulted scored significantly higher on the IES Avoidance Subscale (t = 2.8, p<.05) and the IES Hypervigilance Subscale (t = 2.17, p<.05) than nurses who had not been verbally or physically assaulted. The two groups did not differ with respect to age, years in nursing practice, or type of unit/facility at which they were employed. These findings suggest that nurses are at high risk for experiencing verbal and physical threats and assault in the work place and that such incidents may produce posttraumatic stress symptoms as long as 12 months post incident. Administration must take increased precautions to protect nursing staff from violence in the workplace and provide adequate crisis intervention services when such incidents occur.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants will be able to:
• Describe 3 effects of workplace violence on nurses' mental health.
• Discuss the appropriateness of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised in assessing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Identify 2 workplace and public policy implications to mitigate the consequences of nursing workplace violence.

Keywords: Violence, Nurses

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.