Assessment of NIOSH's Online Workplace Violence Prevention Best Practices Course with University Nursing Students

Workplace violence in health care, which can lead to a host of physical, psychological, and relational problems, has become increasingly prevalent, especially among nurses. To help combat this growing negative epidemic, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) developed an online workplace violence prevention best practices course to educate health care providers about workplace violence. To meet the primary objective of evaluating the effectiveness of this course with a nursing student population, a pre-/post-/post-test survey design was employed to assess changes in awareness and knowledge after completing the course. Additionally, focus group discussions were facilitated to gather more in-depth information about the course to meet the secondary objective of ascertaining ways to encourage participation and enhance message retention. Results from a one-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated that participation in NIOSH’s online workplace violence prevention best practices course increased nursing students’ awareness of and knowledge about workplace violence. This awareness and knowledge was sustained four weeks after completing the course. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed suggestions for encouraging participation from the focus group discussants, including offering continuing education units (CEUs) or requiring training for employment. Participants also commented that messages could be retained by incorporating knowledge-check questions, focusing on real-life experiences, and providing summary handout sheets. By educating nursing students about workplace violence, nurses will be better equipped to prevent and manage workplace violence once they enter the workforce, which will provide a safer environment for everyone who interacts in health care settings.