Workplace Violence in Nursing

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Workplace Violence in Nursing Professional Position Paper Nurses continually strive to bring holistic, efficient, and safe care to their patients. However, if the safety and well-being of the nurses are threatened or compromised, it is difficult for nurses to work effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the position of the American Nurses Association (ANA) advocate that every nursing professional have the right to work in a healthy work environment free of abusive behavior such as bullying, hostility, lateral abuse and violence, sexual harassment, intimidation, abuse of authority and position and reprisal for speaking out against abuses (American Nurses Association, 2012). Therefore, this position statement is relevant because these abuses can be seen in day-to-day healthcare environment. The effects of violence in nursing can be harmful to the proper function within a workplace. It can be damaging to the nursing profession and patient care. According to (Johnston et al., 2010, p.36), workplace violence is “spreading like a ‘superbug.’” Studies have shown, that lateral violence, nurse-on-nurse, has been one of the highest incidence of violence within the workplace. Also, statistics have shown that lateral violence has one of the most emotional impacts on an individual. This will be further discussed below. For these reasons, it is important for healthcare workers to validate the detrimental effects violence can have in the workplace, and be prepared to combat and prevent workplace violence. The issue of workplace violence in nursing was brought into the light after several studies were performed focused on this topic. A chart shown in the United States Department of Labor, 2004, showed the increasing rates of ... ... middle of paper ... ...ed from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.archer.luhs.org/sp-3.5.1a/ovidweb.cgi?&S=FBGDFPJLFADDLMMLNCALMBFBCDJIAA00&WebLinkReturn=Full+Text%3d&TOC=S.sh.15.16.19.22.26%7c1%7c60 Lipscomb, J.A., & McPhaul, K.M. (2004). Workplace Violence in Health Care: Recognized but not Regulated. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 9(3). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume92004/No3Sept04/ViolenceinHealthCare.aspx United States Department of Labor (2004) Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html http://web.ebscohost.com.archer.luhs.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=19&hid=122&sid=3d02df45-8339-4749-9ff4-f57182b175fd%40sessionmgr13

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