Nursing the E.D. Nurses, From Emergency Department Violence
Emergency Department violence is a real problem. The Health Promoting Hospitals and Health Services International Conference, held in Berlin, found that 98 percent of emergency department nurses in the Unites States reported verbal harassment and 67 percent reported physical violence. In Canada, 84 percent of the nurses in the emergency department witnessed verbal harassment once in every shift. And, 90 percent of them claimed to experience verbal abuse at least once a week. In Australia, 70 percent of nurses experience violence at least five times a week.
The setting of emergency departments is experiencing violence, and it has been escalating year after year.
So, how are the hospitals coping and resolving this concern?
To come up with a solution regarding this problem, it is important to define emergency department violence and differentiate it from other forms of violence. Emergency department violence is different since it involves patients, family, relatives and close friends. These violent acts came from feelings of frustrations, vulnerability, and lack of control over health emergencies.
Violence prevention training for hospital staff is one step in reducing the incidence of violence in hospital emergency departments. Potentially violence patients and visitors can be recognized by the hospital staff by attending training in violence prevention.
Some preventive measures and procedures have already been undertaken by the healthcare institutions to prevent this escalating violence. Some security measures include metal detectors at entrances, photo ID cards for staff, badges for visitors, patient processing policies to lessen waiting time, controlled access to hospital buildings, secure telephone communications, locked doors to emergency departments, closed circuit TV monitoring and trained security guards.
Nursing Solutions Now (NSN) offer some protection tips to emergency department healthcare workers. They have the D.O.G.G.S. or Defusing of Grievance Grants Safety. To use the D.O.G.G.S. method, it is important to understand the mindset of the potentially violent person, and that is by communication with the person. It is also necessary to practice active listening.
Avoiding confrontation is also one step to build trust and therefore provide help. It is important to allow the person to verbally vent out the emotions, without comment or judgement. Getting a suggestion from the aggrieved party is essential, and the person’s suggestion might even be reasonable. To preserve the person’s dignity, move toward a win-win resolution.
To further address these attacks and harassments, the Nurses Association in the Unites States promoting the bills aimed at violence against nurses. With these bills, any acts of assault that may cause physical injury to a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse while on duty will face Class C felony charges. This same provision already existed for assaults made against police officers, fire fighters, peace officers, and emergency medical technicians.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) explored the effectiveness of their Criminal Code to address healthcare professionals experiencing violence. CAN promote that the employers should enforce strategies to prevent, identify and address violent behaviors, examine the cause of violence and take steps to address them and provide mandatory education and training to management and staff.
The different nursing organization could come up with different ways or tips to avoid and prevent emergency department violence. It is important to develop laws and make sure that there is a backbone supporting our emergency nurses against possible violence in their workplace. But, the first step against violence is prevention.