Violence Against Nurses Is On the Rise

A new survey from National Nurses United (NNU) reported that nearly half of all nurses surveyed reported an increase in workplace violence – a 119% increase from March 2021. The data isn’t surprising to anyone working in healthcare, but it does underline the continued need for stronger, more comprehensive workplace violence prevention programs, especially in the face of significant labor shortages.

And labor shortages are a major concern. The survey showed:

69% of nurses reported that staffing has gotten slightly or much worse recently, a 47.8% increase from March 2021.

26.5% of nurses surveyed reported “being ‘floated’ or reassigned to care for patients in a clinical care area that required new skills or was outside of their competency,” while 46% reported they didn’t receive any “education or preparation before being floated to units outside their expertise.”

COVID-19 also remains a major concern, with the survey showing it’s still having a deep impact on nurses’ mental health:

58.4% are having more difficulty sleeping

83.5% feel stressed more often than before the pandemic and 77.2% feel anxious more often than they did before the pandemic

68.7% feel sad or depressed more often than they did before the pandemic

56% feel traumatized by their experiences caring for patients

How can the increase in workplace violence be addressed?

Healthcare providers need to empower employees with safety tools and training. They should also consider better alternatives for reporting and de-escalating incidents.

Providers need to enable situational awareness

Equip your organizations with the best tools to provide the safest environment for staff, patients, and visitors.

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