Abstract CN35
Background
Workplace violence (WPV) impacts negatively both healthcare workers and healthcare organizations. Nurses are the most exposed healthcare workers to WPV. This study aimed to describe the WPV against nurses and its predictive factors in oncology settings during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.
Methods
This is a secondary analysis including medical cancer inpatient units from a larger national study conducted between January and April 2021. Data were collected through the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and the adapted version of the Violence in Emergency Nursing and Triage (VENT) Questionnaire. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted.
Results
The analysis was conducted on 201 cancer nurses (84.6% female; mean age 41.2 years, SD 10.8). Seventy-two nurses (35.8%) reported WPV in the last year and/or the last week, 38 (18.9%) in the last week. The number of patients was higher for WPV nurses (mean difference [MD] +3.7; p=.004). Substance misuse (p=.044), alcohol abuse (p=.001), mental health issues (p=.024), cultural aspects (p=.012) and emotional distress (p=.012) were perceived by nurses as characteristics of the perpetrators. The work environment was significantly worse for WPV nurses (PES-NWI composite score [MD -0.2; p=.039]). Physician-nurse relationship (MD -0.2; p=.0039) was significantly worse for WPV nurses. WPV increases when the number of patients was higher (odds ratio [OR] 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.14; p=.021) and when nurses perceived WPV as part of work (OR 2.95; 95%CI 1.17-7.42; p=.021). Nurses who perceived patient and/or caregivers’ cultural aspects as predictors are more likely to experience WPV (OR 3.53; 95%CI 1.19-10.44; p=.023). WPV decreases when WPV prevention procedures were present (OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.09-0.62, p=.004). Nurses who perceived patients and/or caregivers’ alcohol abuse as a predictor are less likely to experience WPV (OR 0.19; 95%CI 0.05-0.72; p=.015).
Conclusions
WPV against nurses was present during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interventions focused on identified predictive factors may result in safer nurse work environment and better patient outcomes.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
Università degli Studi di Genova - Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute.
Funding
The National Federation of Nursing Orders (FNOPI).
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.