Impact of violence against nurses in healthcare environments

International Conference on Nursing & Emergency Medicine

December 02-04, 2013 Hampton Inn Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV, USA

Yvonne D. McKoy

Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

Anyone can be a victim of a workplace assault, but risks are much greater in certain occupations such as nursing. The investigation of violence toward health care workers especially nurses, as an occupational hazard is relatively new and underreported. This study describes the incidence, short and long term effects, and legal implications of violence against nurses by patients and adds to the existing data regarding violence against nurses. Information also was obtained regarding measures used to prevent violence. Nurses in this investigation were asked to complete an assault survey & assessment tool (developed by the Sharp Team and Dr. Marilyn Lanza). This study expanded the research conducted by the sharp team of the department of labor and industries in washington state and Dr. Marilyn Lewis Lanza in the department of nursing service for research at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts. The sample included 108 randomly selected nurses living in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana who were members of the International Association of forensic Nurses (IAFN). Of the total number of nurses completing the assault questionnaire, 88 nurses (81%) reported patient violence. The majority of these nurses experienced some type of physical violence including cuts, lacerations, bruises, soreness, nausea, vomiting, panic, fear and a host of other symptoms. Data were analyzed by measure of central tendency and variability and measures of association were made by Chi square and Pearson correlations. This information was supplemented by anecdotal comments, descriptions, or comments by the respondents to the survey.

Biography :

Yvonne D. McKoy completed her B.S. in nursing from North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro, N. C., her Master?s in Community Health Nursing from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. and her Ph.D. in The Human Sciences from Florida State University. She is Diolomate and Life time Fellow of the American College of Forensic Institute. She is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at North Carolina State University where she developed the first forensic nursing course. She is an alumnus and three time presenter at The Oxford Round Table in Oxford, England. She has published several articles in reputed nursing journals and book chapters.