Solving the Workplace Violence Situation in Nursing

Workforce Advocacy

Impact on My Role as a Nurse

Issues affecting the nursing workforce will affect me as an individual include staffing shortages and ethics considerations. I was really disappointed with my profession in 2020 when COVID requirements rolled out; I felt the whole thing was off, that there was a great deal of panic, fear, hyperbole, and insistence put out there, which is the exact opposite of what one is supposed to do in a pandemic situation. I felt that the industry shredded its credibility and it was all put on the shoulders of nurses to bear it and face the brunt of a rightly incredulous and skeptical public. That affected me deeply and hurt me personally as I have friends who distrust Fauci et al. for all that has come out since.

As a result of all the conditions that prevailed, nursing has been hit hard. It was already in a bad situation as far as staffing goes, but now it is even worse. Staffing shortages are a big issue affecting nurses nationwide. It increases workloads for current nurses; they have longer shifts (12 hour shifts are common—but they really should not be), and higher stress levels can result (Koy et al., 2020; Trinkoff et al., 2021). For me, this means a greater likelihood of experiencing burnout, which I don’t want to have to experience as it can negatively impact my mental and my physical health. On top of all that, the quality of patient care can suffer. Patients can feel dissatisfied, patient safety might be reduced, risk could increase, and nurses could end up quitting due to job dissatisfaction. More turnover results, and the situation just gets worse and worse.

I believe that burnout is a direct consequence of the high demands placed on nurses (Dall’Ora et al., 2020). I know many nurses who are emotionally exhausted and continuously think about getting out of the work. I think more emphasis needs to be placed on self-care and giving nurses time to refresh and recharge. Addressing burnout something that needs to be done to have a healthy work-life balance and make sure nurses are staying engaged with patients the way patients deserve.

Workplace violence is another issue that is often talked about, but I have not seen it myself. Theoretically there are things that can be done to address it, and that will be presented below in the appropriate section. What we learn is that workplace violence can contribute to psychological trauma, injury, and more (Hilton et al., 2022).

Nursing Workforce Supply and Health Care Delivery

Nurse supply matters for the whole industry as they are frontline workers needed for quality care delivery. Adequate staffing means better patient outcomes. When the nursing workforce is insufficient, patient care quality suffers, medical errors can mount, costs go up, and hospital stays last longer. Because a solid nursing workforce is needed for the delivery of healthcare services, and staffing shortages disrupt essential services, investing in the nursing workforce is obviously beneficial: it helps to improve overall system efficiency and keeps turnover low. A stable, healthy, satisfied nursing workforce is going to help in maintaining the quality and consistency of healthcare services.

Handling Workplace Violence: A Recommended Plan

To address the issue of workplace violence, there are some steps that can be taken in the workplace. First, clear policies need to be set in place that everyone knows: the policies shuld define workplace violence and outline the process for reporting and addressing it if it occurs. These policies should be communicated to all staff members and enforced consistently so that a culture of zero-tolerance can take root. Implementing mandatory training programs for all employees on recognizing and responding to workplace violence is also recommended. Training should involve nurses learning de-escalation techniques, practicing conflict resolution skills, and developing greater awareness of some of the potential risk factors. Continuous education should also be promoted along the way so that nursing staff remain updated to best practices and prepared to handle violence if it occurs.

There should be a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable and able to report incidents of violence without fear of retaliation. There should be a system for confidential reporting and for access to counseling services for those who are affected by workplace violence. Support systems should be in place that have mechanisms for follow-ups and resolution of reported incidents.

Another idea is to alter the physical environment to improve safety and reduce the risk of violence. An obvious option here would be the installation of security cameras; panic buttons and controlled access points could be considered to prevent the spread of serious violence, like an active shooter situation. There should always be adequate lighting and clear lines of sight to help keep potential perpetrators from acting violently.

There should also be a genuine culture of collaboration and communication among all staff members. Everyone should promote teamwork and mutual support and management should promote a unified team approach to preventing and addressing workplace violence.