Workplace violence against nurses is rising

For the survey, NNU asked 914 nurses about their experiences with workplace violence and prevention between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023. Of the respondents, 79.5% worked in hospital settings. Other workplace settings included home care/hospice, skill nursing facilities/long-term care, and outpatient clinics.

Overall, 81.6% of nurses said they had experienced at least one type of workplace violence in 2023, with 67.8% saying they had been verbally threatened and 38.7% saying they had been physically threatened. Over 30% of nurses also reported being physically harmed at work, including being pinched or scratched, slapped or punched, and having objects thrown at them.

Compared to the year before, 45.5% of nurses said there was an increase in workplace violence in 2023. Only 3.8% of nurses said that workplace violence had decreased in their units compared to the previous year.

Workplace violence has taken a physical and mental toll on nurses. Over 60% of nurses reported feeling anxiety, fear, or increased vigilance due to workplace violence, and 33.4% said they experienced physical injuries or other physical symptoms, such as headaches or stomachaches.

This increased violence is also pushing some nurses away from the profession. In the survey, 37.2% said workplace violence was making them consider leaving the profession. Another 19.2% said they had changed or left their jobs, and 4.1% said they had left the profession altogether. 

Efforts to combat workplace violence need improvement

In the survey, 62.8% of nurses said their organizations provide training on workplace violence. However, only 31.7% said their organizations provided a clear way to report workplace violence, and only 29.5% said their organizations had staff available at all times to respond to violent incidents. 

Many nurses also reported that their organizations often do not respond to incidents of workplace violence effectively. Less than half of respondents (41.6%) said their organization investigates what happened, and only 21.2% said that their organization changes practices to reduce the risk of violence.

So far, NNU has voiced support for the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which is a bipartisan bill that the House has already passed. Under the bill, all employers would be required to develop and implement plans to prevent and reduce workplace violence.

The American Hospital Association has advocated for the Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees Act. This bill would implement federal protections for healthcare workers and provide hospitals with funding for education and training programs, law enforcement coordination efforts, and facility improvements.

For more ways to combat workplace violence and boost nurses' resilience, check out these Advisory Board resources:

• Workplace violence resource library
• Rebuild the Foundation for a Resilient Workforce
• How Advocate Children's 'bounce back kits' improve nurse resilience
• The four foundational cracks that are undermining your nurses’ resilience
• Three strategies to build baseline emotional support

(Devereaux, Modern Healthcare, 2/6; Firth, MedPage Today, 2/5; NNU survey, accessed 2/7)

Use these resources to gain a global perspective of how violence is impacting frontline staff, and learn strategies to confront this issue at your own organization.