University Nursing Report: Contemporary Issues in Healthcare, Violence

This report addresses the pressing issue of workplace violence within the nursing profession, highlighting the challenges nurses face in healthcare settings. It examines the prevalence of violence, including physical assaults, harassment, and bullying, drawing on news reports and research studies from Canada and international organizations like the Canadian Nurses Association (CAN) and the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU). The report analyzes the causes of workplace violence, such as patient behavior, organizational factors, and inadequate security measures, and discusses the effects on nurses, including physical injuries, psychological distress, and decreased job satisfaction. It explores the measures taken by unions, hospitals, and government organizations to mitigate violence, such as implementing safety protocols, providing training, and advocating for legal protections. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of self-defense training, improved security, and legal support for nurses, as well as the need for a safe and respectful work environment to ensure quality patient care and protect the well-being of healthcare professionals.

Running Head: NURSING
Contemporary Issues Related to Nursing Profession
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1NURSING
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
CBC news on workplace violence against healthcare workers reported by Canadian nursing
official........................................................................................................................................2
Violence against registered practical nurse and other health care staff in Ontario, Canada......4
Canadian Nurse Association (CAN) and Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU)......5
Discussion..................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................8

2NURSING
Introduction
Nurse play an important role in healthcare clinic. They provide care to the patient in
hospitals or other healthcare organizations. Although, during the course of work, nurses face
certain problems or challenges. Nurses face mostly five issues in the recent times. These
issues include compensation, workplace violence, short staffing, long working hours and
workplace hazards (Stevenson et al., 2015). This article will mainly focus on workplace
violence in nursing practices.
Stevenson et al. (2015) has reported that nurses may often face a violent behavior
while in work both from the patient and the coworkers. Work place violence can be done in
the following ways, criminal intent (nurse assaulted in hospital parking lot or waiting rooms),
bullying by a coworkers and personal relationships. Workplace violence has estimated to 4.3
billion per year as claimed by New York State Nurses Association (Stevenson et al., 2015).
Workplace violence can be reduced by tracking all the incidents of abuse including
verbal and attempted assaults. Counseling and trauma care of the assaulted nurse. The factors
which cause workplace violence must be determined. Condition of the workplace must be
taken care off. Training of the staff with self-defence (Stevenson et al., 2015).
CBC news on workplace violence against healthcare workers reported by
Canadian nursing official
The news on the workplace violence issues reported by 46 per cent of nurses during
their recent shifts and one-third reported of physical assault (Roussy, 2019). From 2008 to
20013, Worker’s Compensation Boards of Canada estimated over 4000 work place violence
incidents against Canadian nurse. The president of B.C. Nurses’ Union stated that nurse
should not be assaulted or beaten up during work as it is not a part of the job. Punching,

3NURSING
biting and scratching are typical ways of physical violence. However in the recent times
harassment and bulling are also being added. Most of the nurses fear about losing jobs if they
discussed about the violence but some nurses did not fear talking about the same. A 44 years
old nurse was being punched by a male patient which resulted in severe nose injury. Another
incident happened when a female patient grabbed the stethoscope and chocked the nurse. An
example of workplace violence when a patient twisted the neck of a nurse and was suffering
from severe neck injury. Due to extreme workplace violence a nurse was being shifted from
one unit to another. Although shifting of the unit did not help the nurse recover from post-
traumatic disorder. In some case the workplace violence is not considered because of mental
health issues of the patient. The B.C. Nurse’s Union encourages nurses to claim assault
charges, this union also assist with legal measures. With the increase of violence in
workplace, government organizations and union groups are making laws to make workplace
in hospitals safe. In some hospitals “code whites” has been used and security guards assist
nursing staffs with physical violence. Software are being developed in Ontario where nursing
stuffs can point potential dangerous patients and visitors. In Ontario the Registered Nurses’
Association has made certain guidelines to create a violence free environment in hospitals.
These hospitals in Ontario will be charged if not provided with proper safety measures.
Ontario had developed implementation plan to make hospital environment safer, lower
workplace violence in hospitals and widen health-care sectors, changing attitude towards
violence in workplace and develop workplace safety principles. The collaboration of British
Columbia Nurses’ Union with the Health Ministry helped to reducing violence cases by
implementing the following measures. These include security system, private arms, training
in personal safety or de-escalation and implementation of “code white” (Roussy, 2019).

4NURSING
Violence against registered practical nurse and other health care staff in
Ontario, Canada
Brophy, Keith and Hurley, (2018) surveyed on the violence against fifty-four
registered nurse and healthcare workers in Ontario, Canada. Selection method was biased as
respondents were selected by local union executives, who had the prior knowledge of
violence against each respondent. Methodology used in this survey was in the form of open-
ended questionnaires. Both men (13) and women (41) were included in the study from
different sectors of healthcare service. Groups of five members were made and interview was
taken in the form of recordings. These recordings were concerted to transcripts and analyzed
qualitatively. The major finding of the study was increase in workplace violence. Twenty
three out of fifty four respondents reported workplace violence as an everyday event. As
different sectors of healthcare was surveyed, risk factors was also different from one to
another. These risk factors were use of weapon against nursing staffs included under social
risk factors. Organizational, clinical, environmental and economic risk factors were also
identified from this study. Organizational risk factors include lesser staff, inappropriate
placement of staffs. On the other hand Clinical and environmental risk factors include
violence of the work environment by the patient or their family members. Increase in stress
level leading to disruption of mental peace, which ultimately cause lower in staffing leads to
the Economic risk factor to the organization. This study stated that violence can be countered
in the form of physical, psychological and financial effects. Enhanced security forces, legal
actions and training are the key to avoid such violence. Although, there are not sufficient
protection provided from one facility or department to another. The main limitations of the
study was that this survey did not include experience of healthcare staffs in small and isolated
northern communities. This study also did not include experience of all healthcare staffs such

5NURSING
as physicians or other professionals. Small sample size and biased selection of respondents
were another limitation of the study.
Canadian Nurse Association (CAN) and Canadian Federation of Nurses
Unions (CFNU)
Workplace violence in nursing practice is strongly supported by CAN and CFNU as found in
most of the international researches ("Workplace Violence and Bullying", 2019). Although
the estimation of the violence is difficult to make because of the different ways of harassment
or bullying. Violence in work place has been increasing in the recent years, out of which
nurses are mostly affected among the health care sectors. Victims subjected to workplace
violence develops mental disability, anxiety, lower self-esteem and ultimately isolate
themselves. This organization stated bullying in terms of physical abuse, harassment,
humiliation based on sex or race, misbehaviour in front of others, neglect and rudeness.
Workplace violence can be expected from both inside the organization and outside the
organizations. Continuous workplace bullying and harassment ultimately results in decline of
mental health of the nurse. This will end up in lower efficiency of healthcare service by the
nurse or other professionals. CAN and CFNU stated that every individual included in
healthcare service has a vital role in violence free workplace. Employees, nurses, nursing
student, healthcare professionals have the provision to seek legal help in case of any activity
of violence by the client or colleagues. Clients must be respectful towards the care provider,
health care professionals or other clients. Clients also have the provision to seek legal help in
case of any violence. Government organizations must take care of the violence free work
environment. To create this, government must organize prevention programs, policies and
rules that prevent bullying work place. Also training in mental health must be provided by the
government. The nurses or nursing students can seek help of the CAN’s code of ethics for
registered nurses (2017) in case of any violence or bullying. CAN and CNFU mainly focuses

6NURSING
on the steps or measures which can be taken by individual of healthcare sector in case of
work place violence ("Workplace Violence and Bullying", 2019).
Discussion
According to Nabożny, Balcerzak, and Wierzbicki, (2018) the credibility varies from
one article to another. It depends on the type of research done by that particular journal or
article. A peered journal and government websites have high credibility whereas newspaper
reports are lowest in terms of credibility. Therefore, the study by Brophy, Keith and Hurley,
(2018) are more credible than the news report by CBC. CBC news has mainly focused on the
physical abuse against nurses. This news report has focused mainly on the individuals’ effort
to reduce workplace violence rather than legal actions which must be taken by the
government or organizations. Brophy, Keith and Hurley, (2018) has performed a statistical
analysis of workplace violence and has deduced different risk factors from different sectors
of healthcare service. Despite of the limitations of the study by Brophy, Keith and Hurley,
(2018), the study was informative as individuals referring to this journal will be aware of the
different risk factors. Report by CAN and CFNU has focused on all individuals related to
healthcare services and has deduced various legal actions. CAN and CFNU has also focused
on bullying and harassment apart from physical abuse. However, all the articles has agreed to
the increase in workplace violence and stated measures to reduce the same.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have experienced that workplace violence in healthcare sectors are
most increasing contemporary issues in recent times. As a care giver violence in workplace
affects both the organization as well as the personal life of the caregiver. To avoid violence in
work place I would train myself in self-defence under a professional and use the “code
white”. Increase in security for the care giver is important to save a nurse from emergency

7NURSING
situation. Education of the nurse about government laws is required to take legal actions
against the individuals causing workplace violence. I will develop my personal skills by
giving precise care, maintaining a decent work environment with better communication and
staying honest to my work. All these personal and professional values will help to improve
nursing code of ethics and decrease the incidence of violence in workplace

8NURSING
References
Brophy, J. T., Keith, M. M., & Hurley, M. (2018). Assaulted and unheard: violence against
healthcare staff. New solutions: a journal of environmental and occupational health
policy, 27(4), 581-606.
Roussy, K. (2019). Workplace violence against health-care workers under-reported, largely
ignored. Retrieved 19 July 2019, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/violence-
against-health-care-workers-1.3555241
Stevenson, K. N., Jack, S. M., O’Mara, L., & LeGris, J. (2015). Registered nurses’
experiences of patient violence on acute care psychiatric inpatient units: an
interpretive descriptive study. BMC nursing, 14(1), 35.
Nabożny, A., Balcerzak, B., & Wierzbicki, A. (2018, September). Automatic Credibility
Assessment of Popular Medical Articles Available Online. In International
Conference on Social Informatics (pp. 215-223). Springer, Cham.
Workplace Violence and Bullying. (2019). Retrieved 19 July 2019, from
https://cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/Workplace-Violence-and-
Bullying_joint-position-statement.pdf