Workplace Violence: Patient's Against Staff Nurse in Mental Health Care Setting

Abstract

Introduction: Workplace violence is now recognized as a major occupational health hazard for many organizations and employees the world over. In psychiatric mental health settings, workplace violence is an issue affecting most of the staff nurses working there, especially that nurses are working in front line of care providers who practice in a wide variety of settings caring for individuals facing all types of mental disorders and life threatening events. Aim: The aim of this paper is to present research findings regarding prevalence, causes, impact of violence on psychiatric nurses and consequences, in addition to provide recommendations regarding violence against psychiatric nurse. Method: Systemic review using Pubmed, PsycINFO, CINAHL , and Science direct database, using key words 'workplace violence', 'psychiatric nurses', 'prevalence', 'risk factor of violence', and 'consequences'.    Result: literature revealed that there are many risk factors for this problem that summarized by patient factors, psychiatric nurse factors and environmental factors, on the other hand, this phenomena has many negative consequences that affect quality of care, psychological and physical health of psychiatric nurse and financially cost. Conclusion: understanding causes and consequences of this phenomenon express the needs to develop educational training program regarding violence in psychiatric settings. Research is needed to be conducted in psychiatric settings to evaluate outcomes related to staff training, examine staff characteristics and environmental factors.

Keywords: Workplace violence, Prevalence, Risk factors of violence, Consequences.