Levels of violence among nurses in Cape Town public hospitals

Bullying in the clinical setting: Lived experiences of nursing students in the Central Region of Ghana

INTRODUCTION

Nursing students are confronted with bullies in the classroom and during clinical placement. Acquisition of the necessary psychomotor skills intended during clinical placements may be impeded when workplace bullies intimidate students. This study aimed to describe the various bullying behaviours experienced by nursing students and their effects during clinical placement in the Central Region of Ghana.

METHODS

A qualitative phenomenological descriptive approach using a semi-structured interview guide was employed to collect data from nursing students in focus groups. Overall, six (6) focus groups were used, with five (5) students in each group comprising males and females. The sample size was based on data saturation and was saturated on the six focus group discussions giving a sample size of 30. Purposive sampling was used to select students who had been on the ward at least three clinical placements and had experienced bullying in the clinical setting. In-depth interviews were conducted, recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis.

RESULTS

The study revealed that nursing students had experienced bullying practices such as shouting, isolation, humiliation and being assigned tasks below their competency level. In addition, findings showed that bullying led to a loss of confidence and caused stress and anxiety in nursing students.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, it is recommended that nursing students are mentored holistically in a caring and accepting environment where they will be supported to achieve their learning goals, build their confidence, and develop their personal and professional identity.

Work place violence (WPV) against healthcare workers in Africa: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

WPV amongst healthcare workers has been reported as a public health challenge across the countries of the world, with more in the developing countries where condition of care and service is very poor.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to systematically produce empirical evidence on the WPV against health care workers in Africa through the review of relevant literature.

METHOD

We sourced for evidence through the following databases: PubMed, Science direct and Scopus from 30th November to 31st December 2019 as well as the reference list of the studies included. A total of 22 peer reviewed articles were included in the review (8065 respondents). Quality appraisal of the included studies was assessed using critical appraisal tools for cross-sectional studies.

RESULT

Across the studies, diverse but high prevalence of WPV ranging from 9% to 100% was reported with the highest in South Africa (54%-100%) and Egypt (59.7%-86.1%). The common types were verbal, physical, sexual harassment and psychological violence. The correlates of WPV reported were gender, age, shift duty, emergency unit, psychiatric unit, nursing, marital status and others. Various impacts were reported including psychological impacts and desire to quit nursing. Patients and their relatives, the coworkers and supervisors were the mostly reported perpetrators of violence. Doctors were mostly implicated in the sexual violence against nurses. Policy on violence and management strategies were non-existent across the studies.

CONCLUSION

High prevalence of WPV against healthcare workers exists in Africa but there is still paucity of research on the subject matter. However, urgent measures like policy formulation and others must be taken to address the WPV as to avert the impact on the healthcare system.

Uncaring Nurses: Mobilizing Power, Knowledge, Difference, and Resistance to Explain Workplace Violence in Academia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Violence among nurses and in nursing academia is a significant issue, with attention increasingly focused on damage resulting from psychological violence, such as bullying, harassment, aggression, and incivility. Each workplace's interpretation of violence will impact individual behavior within the organization. Organizational and environmental factors can contribute to violent behaviors becoming normalized in the workplace. When violent behaviors go unconstrained, they become imbedded within the workplace culture. An increased understanding of workplace culture is required to address workplace violence. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how the use of this theoretical framework can provide greater understanding of the role of workplace culture in sustaining violent behaviors in nursing academia.

METHODS

The theoretical perspectives of Gail Mason on interpersonal violence and Michel Foucault on power were utilized to inform the research process and guide data analysis.

RESULTS

The framework makes possible the exposure of a dominant discourse perpetuating violence in nursing academia. Power and violence were found to work together to shape knowledge and influence group norms and behaviors.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The framework is useful in providing greater understanding of how the concepts of power, knowledge, difference, and resistance support the enactment of workplace violence. Investigating the influence of these concepts in the development of accepted practices and discourses may allow greater insight into ways violence and power are used to negotiate and enforce organizational rules and norms.

The association between workplace violence and physicians' and nurses' job satisfaction in Macau

Background

This paper describes the association between workplace violence and job satisfaction among physicians and nurses in Macau. Convenience sampling was sourced from six health centers under the Macau Health Bureau.

Methods

This study uses a cross-sectional self-administrative survey. The study used case studies research instruments for workplace violence in the health sector by country (from the ILO, ICN, WHO, PSI), the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and Perceived Stress Scale. The data collection period spanned from August to December, 2014.

Data analysis

Multiple logistic regression examines levels of intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction in physicians and nurses and significant correlates affecting their job satisfaction.

Results

A total of 720 (14.9% physicians) participants were recruited. 57.2% of participants reported physical and psychological workplace violence in the preceding year. The most common forms of workplace violence were verbal abuse (53.4%), physical assault (16.1%), bullying / harassment (14.2%), sexual harassment (4.6%) and racial harassment (2.6%). Nurses were at a significantly higher risk of physical assault and verbal abuse compared to physicians. Patients, patients’ relatives, and colleagues were the main perpetrators. Worry about WPV, on-call duty and shift work, experience of bullying and verbal abuse and employment sector emerged as significant correlates affecting the intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction of physicians and nurses. Frontline staff, aged 30 and 39, coming from an ethnic minority, and perceived stress were significant correlates affecting nurses’ job satisfaction.

Conclusions

WPV remains a significant concern in healthcare settings in Macau. Stakeholders should legally enforce a zero-tolerance policy towards WPV within healthcare workplaces. WPV is detrimental to healthcare professionals’ mental wellbeing, risking irreversible physical and psychological harm for its victims.

Workplace incivility, lateral violence and bullying among nurses. A review about their prevalence and related factors

BACKGROUND

Negative interactions among nurses are well recognized and reported in scientific literature, even because the issues may have major consequences on professional and private lives of the victims. The aim of this paper is to detect specifically the prevalence of workplace incivility (WI), lateral violence (LV) and bullying among nurses. Furthermore, it addresses the potential related factors and their impact on the psychological and professional spheres of the victims.

METHODS

A review of the literature was performed through the research of papers on three databases: Medline, CINAHL, and Embase.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine original papers were included. WI has a range between 67.5% and 90.4% (if WI among peers, above 75%). LV has a prevalence ranging from 1% to 87.4%, while bullying prevalence varies between 2.4% and 81%. Physical and mental sequelae can affect up to 75% of the victims. The 10% of bullied nurses develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms. Bullying is a predictive factor for burnout (β=0.37 p<0.001) and shows a negative correlation with job efficiency (r=-0 322, p<0.01). Victims of bullying recorded absenteeism 1.5 times higher in comparison to non-victimized peers (95% CI: 1.3-1.7). 78.5% of bullied nurses with length of service lower than 5 years has resigned to move to other jobs.

CONCLUSIONS

There is lack of evidence about policies and programmes to eradicate workplace incivility, lateral violence and bullying among nurses. Prevention of these matters should start from spreading information inside continue educational settings and university nursing courses.

Charge Nurses' Experiences With Horizontal Violence: Implications for Leadership Development

HOW TO OBTAIN CONTACT HOURS BY READING THIS ISSUE Instructions: 1.2 contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded after you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at http://goo.gl/gMfXaf. In order to obtain contact hours you must: 1. Read the article, "Charge Nurses' Experiences With Horizontal Violence: Implications for Leadership Development," found on pages 493-499, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz. 2. Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study. 3. Go to the Villanova website to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name, contact information, and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated. This activity is valid for continuing education credit until October 31, 2019. CONTACT HOURS This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated. Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. OBJECTIVES Describe types of horizontal violence experienced by charge nurses. Identify the skills needed for charge nurses to combat horizontal violence. DISCLOSURE STATEMENT Neither the planners nor the author have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

BACKGROUND

A safe work environment is a prerequisite for the provision of high-quality patient care. Horizontal violence can undermine the culture of safety and the well-being of the nurses in the work unit. Charge nurses, whose role encompasses both staff and manager responsibilities, play an important role in team building and care delivery. Yet, little is known about their experience with horizontal violence. A lack of adequate leadership education and role delineation may predispose charge nurses to horizontal violence.

METHOD

A descriptive study was conducted to describe the incidence of horizontal violence of charge nurses. The Horizontal Violence Scale was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 366 charge nurses.

RESULTS

Charge nurses reported experiencing horizontal violence with some regularity.

DISCUSSION

Nurse leaders must critically evaluate the work culture and provide appropriate education and support to charge nurses to combat horizontal violence. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2016;47(11):493-499.

"…they think we are conversing, so we don't care about them…" Examining the causes of workplace violence against nurses in Ghana

Background

This study is part of a larger project aimed at exploring the workplace experiences of nurses working in public general hospitals in Ghana. The current paper explores the causes of workplace violence against nurses in Ghana.

Methods

Twenty-four semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with professional nurses working in five regions of Ghana. They were selected through purposive and participant-to-participant snowball sampling techniques. Data was analysed through thematic analyses.

Results

The findings of the study suggest that nurses are not (always) passive recipients of violence. Workplace violence can be instigated by either of the parties to the nurse-patient/relative interaction. Nurses’ accounts of the causes of violence suggest that violence could be instrumental or reactive. The study further suggests that the causes of violence may differ depending on which party instigated the violence. The main causes of violence identified include ineffective communication, long waiting times and perceived unresponsiveness, and enforcement of visiting hours.

Conclusion

It is concluded that workplace violence could be reduced through the provision of adequate information to patients and their relatives. Nurses could also be trained in effective communication and interpersonal skills; and on how to identify and avoid potentially violent situations. It is also imperative that policies and measures aimed at addressing workplace violence are instituted to address the problem. Mass education may also be carried out to sensitise the general public on the adverse effects of violence against nurses.

Prevalence of workplace violence in Northwest Ethiopia: a multivariate analysis

Background

Workplace violence has been acknowledged as a global problem, particularly in the health sector. However, there is scarce data on workplace violence among nurses in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of workplace violence and associated factors among nurses in northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

Hospital based cross-sectional study design was employed in 386 nurses from April 1 – April 30, 2015. Data were collected through the use of self-administered questionnaire developed by the International Labor Office/International Council of Nurses/World Health Organization and Public Services International. To keep the quality of the data collection training was given to supervisors and data collectors. Piloting was done in Debark hospital two weeks before actual data collection to assess the tool’s clarity and make amendments. The proposal was approved by the Institutional Review Board of University of Gondar prior to study commencement and a written consent was obtained from each study participant.

Results

The overall prevalence of workplace violence was 26.7 %. Exploratory logistic regression analyses suggested that age, number of staff in the same work shift, working in a male ward, history of workplace violence, and marital status were factors independently associated with workplace violence

Conclusion

The prevalence of workplace violence among nurses was high. Creating a prevention strategy involving different stakeholders is recommended.

The development and psychometric testing of the horizontal violence scale

Inappropriate behaviors of healthcare workers can threaten the delivery of safe, quality care. The purpose of this research was to develop a research instrument specific to the construct of horizontal violence and conduct foundational psychometric testing of the newly developed instrument. The overall findings on the fit indices suggest that this model does adequately measure the underlying construct of horizontal violence. The instrument can be used as a way to determine the existence and extent of horizontal violence in practice settings and used to augment the study of the work environment, particularly in relation to healthy work environments.

Racial and ethnic differences in factors related to workplace violence victimization

Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant public health concern affecting all racial or ethnic groups. This study examined whether different racial/ethnic groups differed in vulnerability to WPV exposure and utilization of resources at the workplace. This cross-sectional research focused on White, Black, and Asian nursing employees (N = 2,033) employed in four health care institutions in a mid-Atlantic U.S. metropolitan area. Whereas childhood physical abuse was significantly related to risk of WPV among workers from all racial/ethnic backgrounds, intimate partner abuse was a significant factor for Asians and Whites. Blacks and Asians were found to be less likely than Whites to be knowledgeable about WPV resources or use resources to address WPV. Services to address past trauma, and education and training opportunities for new workers may reduce risk of WPV and promote resource utilization among minority workers.